Fitness
The idea is to make getting through each menstrual phase a breeze.
Having a period is a rollercoaster ride, to say the least.
Adding exercise into the mix is always touch-and-go.
Personally, my desire to move really depends on the day.
Sometimes Im too tired for a15-minute walk, much less a sweatyhour-long Pilates routine.
Other times, Ill breeze through a three-mile jog with ease.
Thats why I jumped at the chance to try cycle syncing with Alo Moves recently launchedSYNCDprogram.
If youre in the high-energy phase, thats when itll feel right to do afull-body HIIT routine.
Curious just how effective cycle syncing is when it comes to your exercise routine?
Ahead, my honest review of SYNCD after trying it out for a month.
The Lowdown On Alo Moves SYNCD
SYNCD is the latest addition to theAlo Moves fitness app.
The program is also there to help you feel better throughout the month.
If youre on day one through five of your cycle, try one of the menstruation phase routines.
During this time, the hormones estrogen andprogesterone drop in your bodyand you get your period.
Next up is the follicular phase from days five to 14.
Due to theboost in estrogen, youll feel happier, moreenergized, and ready to move.
This is when youll want to amp up your fitness routine with HIIT, power yoga, and Pilates.
Days 14 and 15 in the middle of your cycle tend to be theovulatory phase.
Then youll experience theluteal phase, which lasts from day 15 through the end of your cycle.
Youll noticePMS symptoms like mood swings, bloating, and fatigue.
Should You Cycle Sync Your Workouts?
While she says cycle syncing hasnt been scientifically studied,hormonal shifts and energy dipsare very real.
Annie recommended a round of dancing lions where I shimmied around in a tabletop position to massage my core.
Its recommended that you ramp up your workouts during this time to take advantage of your newfound energy.
If I had attempted HIIT during my period, I probably would have passed out.
Other options for follicular on the app include power Pilates, apower yoga flow, and energizingbreathwork.
Throughout this peppy phase, I was also jogging, walking, and meeting up with friends.
It was eye-opening to learn that my extra energy stemmed from that particular phase of my period.
It continued into my ovulatory phase where I crushed another 27-minute HIIT with Jade.
To round out the month, I allowed myself to begin the process of decompressing in my luteal phase.
This notorious stage iswhen PMS kicks in and it always kicks my butt.
Did I eat snacks and watchLove Islandimmediately after?
But I also enjoyed that I got some movement in.
The Verdict
I love that SYNCD is more like a gentle suggestion than a regimented workout routine.
We do not need to be defined by our menstrual cycle, she says.
The key is to understand our bodies further and have the knowledge to make choices.
Cycle syncing is, after all, all about zeroing in on what works best for you.
Studies referenced:
Bernstein, MT.
(2014).Gastrointestinal symptoms before and during menses in healthy women.
(2011).Women’s sexuality, well-being, and the menstrual cycle: methodological issues and their interrelationships.
(2009).Physiological changes associated with the menstrual cycle: a review.
(2023).Physiology, Ovulation.
In: StatPearls [Internet].
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan. PMID: 28723025.
(2021).Potential Health Benefits of Curcumin on Female Reproductive Disorders: A Review.
(2019).Yoga for menstrual pain in primary dysmenorrhea: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Complement Ther Clin Pract.
(2022).Effects of Follicular and Luteal Phase-Based Menstrual Cycle Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Mass.
(2015).Progesterone and the luteal phase: a requisite to reproduction.
Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am.
Emotion recognition and mood along the menstrual cycle.
(2018).The Normal Menstrual Cycle and the Control of Ovulation.
Endotext [Internet].
South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-.
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/.
Sundstrom Poromaa, I.
(2014).Menstrual cycle influence on cognitive function and emotion processing-from a reproductive perspective.
(2022).Physiology, Menstrual Cycle.
In: StatPearls [Internet].
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500020/.
