Periods get a lot of bad press. From entire movie scenes highlighting PMS symptoms to cramps, to the pink tax on women’s care items, the list of negatives doesn’t seem short. But the reality is that understanding your period, and knowing how to work with it, can unlock a superpower in women.
See, we all know that we might experience an ebb and flow of moods throughout our cycle. You might also know that. it’s common to experience differing energy levels too.
This is due to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone as your body prepares for pregnancy and then sheds its preparation if you don’t become pregnant.
The key to understanding your period starts with understanding exactly what is happening to your body throughout the month.
So…
Let’s Review Our Cycle Phases:
Simply put, the menstrual cycle is often divided into two phases:
The Follicular Phase:
The follicular phase starts on day one of your period and ends once you begin ovulating.
The Luteal Phase:
The luteal phase occurs post-ovulation and ends when your cycle starts over again on day one of your period.
However – as with much of the research about the female reproductive system – this doesn’t account for everything the female body experiences during a full cycle.
You see, within your cycle, there are four hormonal shifts.
That’s why most people (and Dancer’s Who Lift) refer to the cycle as having four major phases.
The four phases of the menstrual cycle are:
Menstruation:
Menstruation begins on day 1 of your period and is considered “Week 1” This phase is marked by low levels of estrogen and progesterone that often leave women feeling more sluggish.
According to studies day one of your period is likely when you’ll experience the most fluid retention. So don’t panic if you see the scale jump a bit here – you’ve done nothing wrong and you’re right on track.
Follicular Phase:
During week two of your cycle, your estrogen levels will rise, while progesterone stays fairly low. This boost in estrogen usually causes an uptick in mood and productivity!
Ovulation:
Week three of your cycle can be pretty wild as it’s when *most* women experience ovulation. Estrogen levels peak on the day of ovulation yielding high energy and (generally) more outgoing and social moods!
However, as soon as ovulation ends, estrogen levels will drop.
This drop in estrogen is followed by a rise in progesterone – a pairing often accompanied by a dip in energy levels.
Luteal Phase:
As you learned above, after ovulation estrogen levels lower, kicking off the luteal phase. This drop in estrogen paves the way for a rise in progesterone.
Studies have shown that many women experience feeling lower energy during this phase of their cycle. As the luteal phase comes to a close, estrogen levels remain low and progesterone levels (if not pregnant) also drop to an all-time low. This dip in both progesterone and estrogen yields low energy and mood for many women.
And just as your hormones dip, your period starts and the whole cycle starts all over again.
Okay, Okay, But How Is Understanding Your Period a Super Power?
I know this may not sound like a superpower yet, but remember knowledge is power.
There is a lot of talk out there about adapting your workouts to where you are in your cycle, but as a performance athlete, this just isn’t practical. I mean, it’s not as if you can call out of a show and say,
“Sorry! I’m in my Luteal Phase and feeling a bit sluggish today!”
But what you can do is adjust the way you think, feel, and react about/to your body throughout your cycle.
If you know you’re opening a show the week before your period, initially you might think,
“Ugh, terrible timing! I’m PMSing during tech and I’ll probably get my period for opening!”
And, honestly? Fair.
But if you are committed to understanding your period, you might think,
“Every month at this time I have low energy and I’m starving. I’m going to pack extra snacks for tech and adjust my workouts so I can get some extra rest.”
Suddenly, you’re at tech feeling prepared and armed with a plan to support yourself during your period.
But How Do I Learn These Patterns?
It’s simple. You track your period.
And no, I don’t just mean writing down when you’re “due” so you don’t get surprised as you did at your 7th-grade dance recital…just me?
Tracking your period with the hope of understanding your period means that, each day of your cycle, you do a quick check-in.
You’ll track flow, mood, energy levels, headaches, digestion, acne, sex drive, cravings/hunger, stress/anxiety, cervical fluid, cramping/pelvic pain, breast tenderness, and anything else you find applicable.
And if that sounds like a lot, you’d be right.
It’s crazy how much our cycles affect our day-to-day lives. And it’s even crazier how many patterns you might discover when you take the time to track your symptoms.
If you’re thinking,
“That’s so much to track, it sounds exhausting.”
It’s actually much easier than you might think – especially if you have a pre-made chart to track it on.
Tracking your cycle symptoms can take less than five minutes each day and (because each body is different) is the key to understanding your period.
How Do I Keep Track Of All of These Symptoms?
There are a few ways you can track your period.
The first is to track it all yourself in a journal. This is probably the most challenging because it requires you to manually write it down every day – not to mention you’ll have to make the chart.
Another option is to utilize an app like Natural Cycles, Clue, or any other period tracking app. Tracking this way is a bit easier because the apps have already created the format for tracking and you just plug in the information.
But our favorite way to start understanding your period is to actually take the time to learn what’s going on when these symptoms occur. This way, if something’s off, you know right away.
So, if you’re looking at tracking apps, consider choosing one that focuses on the education of your period.
Okay, I Have More Questions…
Obviously, you’ll want (and need) to go a bit more in-depth than this brief overview of your cycle.
But we wanted to get you started on your journey toward understanding your period because, as dancers and elite athletes, our bodies are our instruments.
And despite what pop culture may tell you, your period doesn’t have to be a huge interruption of your life.
So, will you join us on our journey to understand our periods better? This month the
DWL blog will feature a “cycle series” and at the end there just might be a little gift for you!
Tune in every Monday this month for a fresh post designed to help you “go with the flow.”
Did you like this post? Check these other fitness fast reads: Inexpensive Eats: Five Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget, You’re Not Doomed, It’s D.O.M.S., Let’s Talk About Stress, Ba-by! Stress Management For Dancers