Working out and your menstrual cycle

February 23, 2025

Did you know? Your exercise routine and menstrual health are directly related.

Your menstrual cycle and energy levels go hand-in-hand, so by understanding how energy levels change throughout the four menstrual cycle phases, you can alter your workouts to best suit you.

In this blog, we’ll dive into how physical activity and your menstrual cycle are related. Let's also learn about what exercises are good for you during each phase of the menstrual cycle.

What are the benefits of exercise during periods?

There are many benefits of exercising at various stages of your menstrual cycle, including your period.

While we all know that exercise releases endorphins and helps lift your mood, working out during your period can help balance your hormone levels and be beneficial for you in many ways. These include:

Regulating your mood
Reducing period cramps
Making your period more consistent
Experiencing lighter periods
Less fatigue

How does exercise benefit you during your period?

During your period, your body has a higher amount of progesterone, which can cause fatigue, anxiety and lower energy than usual.

Exercising or any physical activity will help your body release endorphins, which reduce stress, relieve pain and improve your mood. So, exercising during your period is very beneficial.

When you exercise, your body also releases water, including water that has been built up in your belly and making you feel bloated.

Exercising can also help release tension and contractions that your pelvic muscles will experience during menstruation - this helps ease period cramps.

Now that we’ve learnt about how exercise and your menstrual cycle are related.

Menstrual cycle phases and fitness

We know that exercising during your period has many benefits, but are you wondering what exercises you should do according to your menstrual cycle phases? Well, let's find out exercise tips for different cycle phases!

What exercises are good for you during the menstruation phase?

During your menstruation phase, your body is likely to experience symptoms such as period cramps, mood swings and discomfort. So it’s completely normal to find your usual workout routine a little more difficult to do during periods, as your body is bleeding and going through a lot at this time!

Keeping in mind various period symptoms you may be facing, it’s helpful to stick to a light workout routine during periods.

This can include:

Walking
A light jog
Yoga
Low-to-medium intensity aerobic exercises
Stretching
Swimming

That being said, the most important thing is to listen to your body. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing a higher intensity workout while you're on your period if you’re up to it. Just stick to what your body is comfortable with.

What exercises are recommended for the follicular phase?

Your follicular phase is when you’ve just finished your period. During this time, your oestrogen levels start rising, causing you to feel happier and more energised.

High-intensity exercises like HIIT
Strength training with heavier weights
Higher intensity cardio like running, dancing etc.

What exercises should you include in your workout routine during the ovulatory phase?

Similar to the follicular phase, your body is likely to experience high energy during the ovulatory phase.

During the ovulatory phase, your body experiences a peak in oestrogen levels, causing higher energy levels.

So it’s great to make the most of this higher energy during your ovular phase and do high-intensity workouts. This can include more intensive cardio, heavier weights and HIIT workouts.

What exercises should you do in the luteal phase?

It’s natural to experience a reduction in energy during your follicular phase as your body has just ovulated and is low on oestrogen. During this phase, you might feel less energetic, which is completely natural! This phase is a good time to do:

Low-impact exercises
Yoga
Pilates
Swimming
Body-weight focused exercises

Frequently asked questions

Is it important to take rest days during menstruation?

Yes, with proper training and adaptation to menstrual cup use in no gravity conditions, astronauts can use menstrual cups effectively.

Can exercise start your period early?

While working out doesn’t cause your period to come early, if you are implementing a new exercise routine, it can change your hormonal balance, and as a result, you may initially experience changes in your period. This can include earlier and lighter periods.

If you haven't had any major lifestyle changes but are experiencing early periods, please consult a doctor to understand any underlying conditions that may be causing this.

Should I work out on the first day of my period?

This entirely depends on how you’re feeling on the first day of your period. For some people, the first few days can involve experiencing painful cramps and require rest to feel better.

However, it’s completely safe to exercise on any day of your period and depends on person-to-person.

How much exercise causes missed periods?

It’s very rare for exercise to cause missed periods. However, this can happen if you are over-exercising and consuming more energy than your body is producing.