EXERCISE WITH YOUR PERIOD >> UNDERSTAND THE PHASES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

There are days when you have plenty of energy to do a HIIT workout and then there are these days when you don't even want to take off your pajamas. Understanding your menstrual cycle can help you stop perceiving your period as a burden and be able to get the most of its physical and emotional benefits.

Learn how to plan your workouts to take advantage of hormonal impulses and find out when is the best time to focus on recovery and regeneration.

THE PHASES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

MENSTRUAL PHASE

What happens in the body?

The cycle begins on the first day of the period. The endometrium is shed from the vagina along with blood, mucosa, and tissue. Symptoms like cramps, bloating, headaches, and mood swings can add to your motivation to train . 

Yoga poses to relieve cramps

Do you usually have abdominal cramps? Try simple yoga poses like the child's pose, cat-cow, and savasana for pain relief.

You may feel tired or lethargic and need more rest than usual. This is a good opportunity to cancel plans, stay home, and write in your mindfulness journal . Make a list of the goals you want to achieve during the follicular phase. Remember, this is not the best time to try to achieve your personal best. The goal of training during your period should be to stay active and listen to your body. 

What to bring

You may prefer to wear tampons, pads, a menstrual cup, rule-proof underwear, adidas Techfit rule-proof leggings , or a combination. There are many options to stay comfortable during your period.

Your training

• Make it smooth. 
• Go for a walk or do some light running session, do stretching and yoga exercises . 
• Focus on mobility and breathing exercises. Now is the time for recovery and regeneration . Try your Period Days training in the adidas Training app.

FOLLICULAR PHASE

What happens in the body?

Your period is over and now the pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which stimulates the ovaries to produce oocytes. Estrogen and testosterone levels rise and this fills you with energy and may improve your mood. 

You will feel more social and assertive, as testosterone boosts libido . Now is the time to take the initiative and focus on achieving goals.

An oocyte detaches from a follicle in your ovary around day 14, at the end of the follicular phase. At this point, your estrogen and testosterone levels peak and make you feel more confident. Enjoy it!

Your training

• Increase the intensity of your sessions. 
• Try hard interval training, HIIT sessions , or circuit training .   
• Take a couple workout or join a community of adidas Runners.
• Try the Energy workout after your period in the adidas Training app.

LUTEAL PHASE

What happens in the body?

The body begins to relax after the high activity in the follicular and ovulation phases. After a couple of days, estrogen and testosterone production begin to decline and the body increases progesterone levels.

Focus on a balanced and healthy diet and give your serotonin levels a boost by staying active. When you enter the second part of this phase, your skin may become more oily or breakouts, you may have more breast sensitivity and mood swings. These are symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Reduce symptoms

Cut back on caffeine to relieve sore breasts as well as sugar intake and make sure to stay hydrated . Avoid fatty and salty processed foods, as they increase fluid retention. Some studies show that regular yoga sessions can reduce common PMS symptoms . 

Your training

• Time to build lean muscle. 
• Focus on strength training and hard yoga sessions. According to some studies, this is the ideal time for strength training .
• Slow down the intensity of your workouts gradually as your period approaches.
• Workout Try to Force before the rule in the app adidas Training.

  

RESUME

The key to staying active during the phases of the menstrual cycle is understanding what is going on in your body. The cycle is different for each person; It is important that you keep track of yours so that you can get the most out of the follicular and ovulation phases and use the luteal and menstrual phases to focus on healthy nutrition, recovery, regeneration and mindfulness . Remember, if you want to keep training during your period, there is nothing to stop it. You just need to pay attention to how you feel and make sure you give yourself more time to rest.