Exercise is a very important component of healthy living and is something that should be implemented on a consistent basis. As wonderful as it is, it can also become harmful if you are pushing too hard; especially for women. Women’s bodies are built completely differently than a man’s, so this requires a different approach to exercise between men and women. This is not taught in gyms, boot camps and most sports teams and as a result, a lot of women have been hurt by constant, intense workouts and training. When men hit puberty, testosterone levels go up and stay up. For women, their hormones fluctuate multiple times throughout the month so their bodies cannot always handle as much stress as men can. This is their bodies design!
Cortisol levles go up significantly when exercising. When this happens, reproduction decreases. The reproductive system will be suppressed in women if high intense workouts are performed multiple times a week on a consistent basis. Estrogen and testosterone will be affected and will result in symptoms such as endometriosis, PCOS, terrible period cramps, heavy or extremely light bleeding, or even no period at all.
Specific times during a womans cycle call for very light workouts while others allow for the high intensity training that many women love. Below is an exercise guide that will lead to overall health long-term. Exercise is for longevity, not just a nice body! Taking care of reproductive hormones is not only for reproduction but its important for the immune response, digestion, and thyroid health.
Daily Exercise Guide
Days 1-7 (5-7 days of menstruating): Extremely careful with exercising, focus on bringing oxygen to the muscles, walking, stretching, light yoga and vibration plates. NO CrossFit, HITT, boot camps, etc
Days 7-14: Can handle stress much better. High intense workouts (Burst, HITT, boot camp, interval training, weight training), good time to detox.
Days 14-21: Stay away from stressors. Walking, stretching, light yoga, vibration plates. NO CrossFit, HITT, boot camps, etc
Days 21-28: High intense training with less duration and prepping body for menstrual week.
Happy Exercising!
If you would like more information on how to receive these tests and plans, please contact our office via email, phone, or in person.