Cycles of a Woman’s Life
How Can Lifestyle Changes Regulate a Woman’s Hormones and Increase Her Energy?
Most women have learned the bare minimum to survive their period. It is not common knowledge that their body’s hormone levels change throughout their menstrual cycle. To support these fluctuations lifestyle modifications should be considered. Without the right support, their bodies become out of balance affecting their whole life: sleep, appetite, food cravings, emotions, productivity, energy and more.
Exercise is one of the most important lifestyle modifications for women to utilize throughout their menstrual cycle.
Men and Women’s hormones: Circadian Rhythm vs. Infradian Rhythm
Men and women have the same hormonal makeup. The differences are the levels of each hormone and when they fluctuate. Men run on a 24-hour hormone cycle – a circadian rhythm – as it takes one full day for hormonal regulation; this allows men to produce new sperm every day. Whereas women run on a 28-day hormone cycle – an infradian rhythm – that takes about a month for hormonal regulation; this cycle prepares the body for a possible pregnancy. Estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are the four most important hormones for a women’s reproductive cycle. For simplicity of this article, estrogen and progesterone will be the main hormones discussed.
The 4 phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle
A woman’s menstrual cycle typically follows the moon’s cycle and should take around 28 days to complete.
Menstruation
The active bleed is the shedding of the uterus lining. This part of the cycle lasts 3-7 days. During this time estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest point, women can experience a dip in energy. A woman should focus on low impact, low energy movement to encourage healthy blood flow without depleting energy. Some examples include: walking, slower cardio, tai chi, qi gong, yin yoga or stretching.
Follicular
During the follicular phase the uterine lining begins to thicken while the egg prepares to flow down the fallopian tubes; this phase lasts for about 12-14 days. During this time estrogen is rising leading to an increase in energy. Emphasis should be exercises that are going to build muscle such as weight lifting, high intensity interval training, or more intense yoga and cardio.
Ovulation
During ovulation the egg is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus where it waits for potential sperm. This part of the cycle can last for 1-2 days. Progesterone levels will begin to rise after ovulation while estrogen levels are similar to the previous phase, which means the suggested exercises are similar, too.
Luteal
During the luteal phase, an unfertilized egg is waiting to be cleared or a fertilized egg will implant into the uterine wall. This phase lasts for about 12-14 days. Estrogen remains stable while progesterone levels begin to rise. During the first week, some women experience an increase in energy while others will experience a dip. During the second week of the luteal phase progesterone starts to decline which could lead to a decreased stamina and increased fatigue. To support this change, decrease high intensity work outs and increase stretching in the legs, hips, low back and abdomen while adding in lower intensity, body weight work outs such as yoga, mat Pilates and walking.
Living in today’s society, it can be difficult to make lifestyle changes at the right times to support normal hormonal fluctuation. Acupuncture and Eastern herbal medicine can help to support women experiencing hormonal imbalances; such as painful periods, irregular periods, low energy, poor digestion and menopause. These modalities can help improve upon the unfavorable symptoms and bring the body back to balance.
