There is something quite magical about the time when a woman starts to think about becoming a mother. There is an energetic shift from deep within, a subtle premonition of the seismic changes ahead – physical, emotional, even spiritual.
This phase is often referred to as the preconception phase. In an ideal world, it’s recommended the preconception phase is around 3-6 months.
This is a period of inward focus, optimising your health and making lifestyle changes that will positively impact your fertility. You will want to consider your nutrition, exercise, sleep, & stress. But crucial to this phase is the nourishment of your menstrual cycle.
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A woman’s menstrual cycle is now identified as our 5th vital sign by the American College of Obstericians and Gynecologists. This means that if there is something abnormal about your cycle or you have conditions such as PCOS or Endometriosis, now is a wonderful time to reach out to professionals to help address these.
There are many factors at play that can throw out a women’s cycle, but as a Pilates instructor I’m going to talk about how you can make changes in your exercise routine to ensure you’re nourishing the hormonal profile of the different phases of your cycle so you can thrive in preparation for motherhood.
Our cycle has four main phases – Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal & Menstruation.
Each of these phases have unique hormonal profiles which support the differing stages of fertility. The way we workout needs to change over the course of the month to ensure we can maintain the optimum balance of our hormones for each phase.
Phase 1: Follicular
The first phase of your cycle is called the Follicular stage, which follows menstruation and goes from around Day 5-14. During this phase you will feel a growing sense of energy so use it.
Your hormonal profile supports workouts in the middle of day and you should be including strength and lots of cardio in your workouts – Reformer Pilates, Running, Barre.
Phase 2: Ovulatory
The second phase is called the Ovulatory stage which goes for around 2 days in the middle of your cycle on Days 15/16. You should feel like you are glowing. Workouts can be your most intense of the month and your hormonal profile supports workouts in the early morning so time to rise and shine – HIIT style workouts, Cardio Reformer Pilates, Spin.
Phase 3: Luteal
The third phase is the longest and it is called the Luteal stage and goes from around Day 16 until menstruation which is usually on Day 28/30. Your hormones will shift quite a lot during this phase.
In the early Luteal stage you can continue to workout early in the day and as you get closer to your period move to early evening to support the internal shifts. Start to slow down your workouts to include less cardio as the month progresses and more Pilates and Yoga that places less stress on the body – Reformer Pilates, Barre, Yoga, Power Walking.
Phase 4: Menstrual stage
Finally the Menstrual stage which symbolizes both the end of your cycle and the beginning of a new one is from Day 1-5. Now is the time to slow it down. You are more likely to injure yourself so gentle mat pilates and restorative yoga, walking or just rest is recommended.
By considering the hormonal shifts over the course of your cycle and syncing this to the way you workout, you will be in flow with your body. The nourishment of your cycle is crucial during this important time we call preconception and the best way to get yourself prepped for pregnancy and motherhood.
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