If you are a lover of health, fitness and exercise like me, then you know how difficult it can be to maintain your level of activity during your PMS Phase.
I have just created the below video, which details a technique that I use to stay active throughout the whole month.
Please take a look and feel free to subscribe to the YouTube channel đ
If you are a fitness fan like me….then you will be very familiar with how PMS can make you feel when you are trying to exercise!
I tend to describe this feeling as “training in toffee”, where every movement feels like your whole body is stuck in a river of toffee, making any form of exercise exhausting and not that enjoyable!
The main reason for this sensation is the Hormone “Estrogen”, which tends to increase during the last two weeks of your Menstrual cycle and this rapid rise in the Hormone can make you feel sluggish, tired and lethargic… meaning you may feel more motivated to sit in front of the sofa rather than to attempt any kind of sit-up!
But there is a workaround!!…………….I suggest adapting your fitness plan to your Menstrual cycle, which will allow you to keep fit and energised throughout the whole month rather than just for the first two weeks.
Regular exercise has been proven in a number of studies to reduce stress levels, as when we exercise our Happy Hormone “Serotonin” increases and this Hormone controls areas such as our mood, social behavior and temperature regulation, which are all areas that need a positive boost during the last few days of our Menstrual cycle…
So by sticking to your fitness plan or even starting a new one, you can combat the emotional imbalances PMS causes and start a real energised step to reducing your PMS symptoms!
Below is an example of how you can plan your exercise for the whole month, picking high energy sports at the start and moving to more low impact options towards the end of the month:
Example Fitness Plan
Days 1-14 of a typical 28 day cycle
(Classed as the Follicular Phase of the Menstrual Cycle)
Plan to take part in exercises that include anything that is fast paced or intensive such as running, sprinting, interval/circuit training, martial arts or Zumba.
Days 15-28
(Classed as the Luteal Phase)
Plan to take part in exercises that include anything that is low impact for example yoga, a slow jog, swimming, cycling or dancing round your living room!
By adapting your fitness plan to your monthly cycle as suggested above, you will notice a reduction in your PMS symptoms, mainly because of all that Happy Hormone being produced…..but remember:
“PMS requires ABM (Action Before Motivation)”
So if you are suffering with PMS, really push yourself to start exercising! I guarantee, if you do and even if it’s just dancing around your living room, you will feel so much better and very glad that you did it!
Happy Training đ
Above is a diagram representing the emotional phases experienced by many women during a typical menstrual cycle and below is a description of each of the phases above:
Overview of Phases
 Relief:
This phase is where you should start to experience relief from your PMS symptoms and starts as your period begins.
In the “Relief” phase emotions should become noticeably more balanced and the need for social/relationship interactions should start to increase.
Communication:
The “Communication” phase overlaps with the “Relief” and “Vitality” phases and tends to occur around 7 days after your period begins.
This phase is where you should feel more compassionate to others and generally feel more mindful of yourself and everyone close to you.
Vitality:
This phase is where you should notice a high level of energy, a real zest for life and the ability to take on any challenge or adventure.
Normality:
“Normality” is a phase where you should have full control of your emotional state but will start to be affected by the early signs of PMS and your energy levels may start fall.
PMS:
This phase is when your PMS symptoms will start to develop, you may start appearing distant and have noticeable emotional imbalances, your senses will be heightened which could lead to irritability and any other emotional symptom linked with PMS.
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Having an understanding of the emotional phases of the menstrual cycle is key to beating PMS!
PMS happens at a subconscious level, which means if you are not aware of your current or next “phase”, you will never stop PMS from occurring……
So take conscious control and watch PMS disappear – it can really be that simple!
So Christmas is over and New Years Eve will soon be upon us….. this means that it is the time of year when we all start to think about the things we would like to do or achieve in the new year.
So I thought I would list my top 10 resolutions needed to combat PMS:
I hope you find the above list of resolutions helpful…….but, remember, to achieve a goal takes more than just a decision, it requires constant small steps and commitment to achieve the desired result!
Happy New Year!
Chrissie
Happy Month.
