Another morning comes and you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck. Your energy is so low lately and you really do want to give it a boost. All around you, you’re told to exercise more, move your body, join a fitness class! The thing is, you’ve tried exercising…and ended up couch-ridden for days. What gives?!?! Enter the power of your feminine energy cycle.
What is Your Feminine Energy Cycle?
We women have some pretty complicated stuff going on inside our bodies.
And, unfortunately, most diets, fitness programs and energy-booting advice is based on men’s bodies.
As a fitness instructor and a women’s hormone health expert, I struggle to align with the generic “one size fits all” exercise mantra we’re told to follow.
Your hormones rule your body.
And, of course, you have a monthly hormonal cycle.
But, we’re also susceptible to the energy given off by the moon’s phases. (When we’re 60% water, it’s no surprise that our bodies can be influenced by the tidal changes.)
Your feminine energy cycle, lasting 28-30 days (on average), has both ups and downs. And line up with either your personal, natural cycle or the phases of the moon.
Once you harness the power of your feminine energy cycle, you can create a workout routine that aligns with it. Which is the right way to get energy from exercise.
How Does Energy Cycling Work
If you still have a natural menstrual cycle (i.e., not influenced by hormonal birth control or replacement therapy), follow yours.
If you don’t have a natural cycle (i.e., you’ve had a hysterectomy, gone through menopause, etc.), follow the moon phases.
During menstruation or the new moon, energy is naturally at its lowest. Choose exercises that are less intense, shorter or calming. This is a great time for yoga, stretching or a long walk. (Of course, if your body is telling you to just rest, do that!)
During your follicular phase, or the waxing moon, energy naturally begins to rise. How much it rises depends on your health, hormonal balance and overall energy production. However, this is a good time to begin introducing slightly more intense workouts, adding resistance training or some cardio to your routine.
It’s during ovulation or the full moon that energy is naturally at its highest. This phase lasts between 3 and 7 days; every woman is unique. But, here is when you can pound out your most intense workouts, go for a longer walk or run, and lift those heavier weights.
And, finally, during the waning moon, or luteal phase, energy drops. For some women it’ll drop mid-way through; for others, it drops dramatically towards the end. Either way, adjust your workouts to align with whatever levels of energy you’re feeling.
How to Find Your Feminine Energy Cycle
Figure out your personal feminine energy cycle to reap the benefits.
For 2-3 months, track your energy level each day. I started with a simple 5-point scale and just ranked each day.
Make sure to also note the phases of your personal cycle and the phases of the moon, too. Do both even if you have a natural menstrual cycle.
Then, after tracking for a few months, go back and look for patterns.
Your energy cycle may or may not line up exactly with the energy reference points I described above, and that’s okay. My own energy cycle is “off” by about 3 days, where I only get a sudden drop in energy the day my period starts.
Create Your Energy Boosting Workout Plan
Once you know your feminine energy cycle, have fun creating a workout plan!
I love this concept because it takes out all the stress and worry about those “bad” days each month. You know, the days when you’re angry with your body because it couldn’t finish that 3-mile run? Even though you had no trouble running 4 miles two weeks ago???
With your feminine energy cycle at hand, you can give yourself grace and compassion. Because your body isn’t meant to do the same types of workouts every single week of the month.
Start by choosing a type of exercise that you love to do and know you can follow through on. For women with chronic fatigue, I recommend walking, lifting light to moderate weights, yoga, or low intensity bodyweight moves.
My monthly workout plan looks like this: More HIIT moves and longer strength training sessions around ovulation. More high rep, lower weight resistance training and long walks around menstruation.
Conclusion
Exercise is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle. And, the more you move, the more energy your body will produce. (Plus, did you know that your muscle cells can contain more than 1 mitochondria in them? That’s like bonus energy production.)
But this doesn’t mean you have to follow mainstream fitness advice to benefit. (Nor should you if you battle chronic fatigue or adrenal burnout.)
Pushing yourself through tough workouts will create a bigger imbalance, leading to more exhaustion. And a much harder time in recovering your lost energy.
To reap the benefits of exercise and rebalance your energy production hormones, create a workout routine that aligns with your feminine energy cycle.
And, once you have your movement patterns figured out, you can start to harness your feminine energy cycle for more productivity, too! This is one of the concepts I teach my clients inside the Energy & Hormonal Rebalance System, so if you’re looking for help in overcoming chronic fatigue or burnout naturally, make sure you click here to learn more.
