From our own experience, and from peer reviewed research, we know that our mood, motivation, anxiety levels etc. all play a role in our desire and ability to follow our workout program or stick to our goals. There’s a ton of evidence to show that exercise helps us feel better and working out has plenty of health benefits! So why doesn’t it always feel good?
We looked at a study published in April 2021 that investigated where participants were at in their cycle and how this affected their exercise intensity. The researchers found that some of the negative psychological responses we have towards working out stem from the physiological changes we experience throughout the menstrual cycle. And this wasn’t even for people who normally hate working out or who typically have excessively painful periods, these participants were healthy, active, and had “regular” menstrual cycles!
There was no real conclusion from this study on whether actual performance was better in one phase or the other, but participants were less motivated to exercise in Phase Four and had more positive responses to moderate exercise rather than high-intensity exercise in this phase.
The researchers suggested a few possible explanations for their findings. They noted that high progesterone levels seen in Phase Four can impact structures in our brains to cause a window of vulnerability for negative feelings as well as increase our base body temperature (we are literally hotter in Phase Four).
Our takeaway? You may be less likely to want to do wind sprints (or other high-intensity exercises) in Phase Four than you are in earlier phases. You can still do them, you can do anything – but if you feel like it’s harder, just know that it’s normal. If you’re into it, try scheduling your high intensity workouts for Phase Two, and lighten the load in Phase Four. Either way, you’re taking great care of yourself. Keep it up.
Science, Feminism, and Love.
Prado, R., Silveira, R., Kilpatrick, M., Pires, F. & Asano, R. (2021). The effect of menstrual cycle and exercise intensity on psychological and physiological responses in healthy eumenorrheic women. Physiology & Behavior, 232, 113290–113290.
