Exercising. You either love it, hate it, or you’ve come to terms with it as a necessary part of your life that you neither hate nor enjoy.

I’m all of the above depending on the day.

Some mornings I’ll wake up, and working out is exactly what I want to do. I’m energized, and strong. As I’m working out, I’ll feel like a heroine badass in a training cut of a fantasy film.

Other days, I’m attempting to workout while slowly descending into quicksand. Basically, my workouts suck.

Know why? Hormones.

Those fun little chemical transmitters existing in our body that help (or TRY to help) us function daily.

For those who deal with reproductive cycles, there has been very little research on the actual effects of hormones on exercise throughout the reproductive cycle. 

If you’re surprised, you shouldn’t be. Most science experiments and data we reference have been centered on men, specifically, white men. Any non-heterosexual non-white male groups have always been put on the backburner of scientific research, as with many things.

BUT – you know what’s a helpful tool when traditional science fails us?

Personal discovery and intuition. A form of self science if you will.

I was once taught that HIIT was bad for women, as high-intensity exercise can lead to increased levels of cortisol and stress and lead to hormone imbalances. I was also taught the opposite, that HIIT can be great for women because it allows for the release of cortisol which can help with hormonal imbalance.

 But what personal research and intuition have shown me, is that my body actually LOVES high-intensity, low-impact training at the beginning and middle of my cycle. As my body gets closer to the menstrual phase of my cycle (my period), I have to slow it down and do high-weight, low-rep weightlifting. Once my period starts, I can either continue with the high-weight, low-rep weightlifting, do slow high-rep, low-weight weightlifting, or stick to slower low-impact cardio exercises like walking, or yoga.

Even that changes. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of my menstrual phase and my brain will be like – LET’S GO FOR A RUN.

I ignore that part of my brain because I know better. Running will lead to cramps for me, and we want to avoid THOSE at all costs.

How did I learn all of this?

I started paying attention.  

Instead of approaching my workout plan with frustration when I was too exhausted to move, my body hurt, or I felt like the assigned workout of the day would make me ill, I started approaching it with curiosity. 

Why doesn’t my body want to do this today? Is it a mental block or a physical one? Is it the workout itself? Do I hate running and prefer speed-walking or biking?

The more I paid attention the more I realized my body knows what it needs. If it needs to stretch, I’ll feel heavy, and sore. If it needs to run, I’ll feel like a live wire with too much energy to contain. If it needs to lift, I’ll feel weak, or like my muscles just need to move.

Your body may tell you something else entirely. Allow yourself time for trial and error. It’s a part of the process that so many of us want to skip, but without it, we’ll never truly learn what works for us.

Do you think I learned my body wanting to run on my menstrual cycle was a cruel trick to cause cramps WITHOUT it happening first? I did not, I learned that the hard way. But now I know. It will never be forgotten.

Here’s a new challenge for you moving into this next week or month.

Be more mindful of what your body is telling you when it comes to your workouts. Track how your sleep time, your menstrual cycle, your food intake, your social exposure, the day of the week, etc. all directly impact your energy levels and desire to workout.

Commit yourself to moving your body intentionally every single day, BUT, allow yourself to choose the movement based on how you’re feeling. Do what your body wants you to do, not what you think you should do. Allow the workouts to be intuitive and see how your body naturally responds. Was that workout too much, or too little?

Working out will probably become less stressful, more exciting, and less painful. (which we LOVE for you) As you give yourself time and space to figure out what exactly works for YOU, the easier the whole thing will feel. What once was this giant hill you felt was standing in your way has now become a little bump you can step right over. Be patient. Take a deep breath. Listen to your body.

YOU GOT THIS.