Click Here to Get Started on the Fertility Cycle!
Regulating your menstrual cycle is the first step to regaining fertility and achieving pregnancy. I’ve designed the newest cycle of Mommy workouts to help you exercise with your cycle, not in spite of it.
Click Here to Get Started on the Fertility Cycle!
Regulating your menstrual cycle is the first step to regaining fertility and achieving pregnancy. I’ve designed the newest cycle of Mommy workouts to help you exercise with your cycle, not in spite of it.
What does that mean? It means observing your body and respecting its needs while also doing the things you love. You can have both.
Who Are the Workouts For?
These workouts are designed for women who are trying to improve their fertility and achieve pregnancy. They are also ideal for women who have irregular or absent cycles and are trying to adjust their workouts to help regulate their cycle.
The workouts are also intended for women who do intense exercise for five or more hours per week. If you’re working out that much, you’ve probably heard you need to cut back if you want to get pregnant, but timing is just as important as volume. This cycle will focus on doing the right kind of exercise at the right time to work with the hormonal changes that occur over the course of a cycle.
About the Workouts
Starting with the first day of menstruation, I will take you through a day-by-day approach to exercise, with a schedule provided for three entire 28-day cycles. The workouts you do on any given day are dictated by where you are in your cycle. They are divided into four general phases:
- Follicular Phase, Stage One: This phase begins with the first day of your period and ends with the last day. At this time, hormones are at their lowest, and workout intensity is also low with a focus is on regular, low-impact activity.
- Follicular Phase, Stage Two: At this point in your cycle, bleeding has stopped and estrogen is on the rise. Simply put, your body is getting ready to ovulate. Testosterone levels are also at a high during this phase. At this stage we will take advantage of increased energy levels and do longer and more intense bouts of exercise.
- Ovulation Phase: We’ll keep the intensity higher during ovulation, but decrease the frequency so you can save some energy for the baby-making exercise.
- Luteal Phase: During this stage, progesterone rises, then drops quickly. The length of this stage is crucial for achieving pregnancy, and luteal phase defects are common in female athletes. In stage four we’ll focus on moderate-intensity exercise and stress management.
The Fertility Cycle will run for 84 days, or three 28-day menstrual cycles. Each cycle will have a different focus.
- Phase One: The first cycle is a wind-down cycle, during which you will decrease the intensity of your workouts and get to know your body’s fertility signals.
- Phase Two: During the second cycle, the focus is strength training and regular movement.
- Phase Three: The third cycle incorporates shorter, more intense bouts of exercise, as well as yoga.
If you work out intensely for more than five hours a week, you might find it challenging at first to cut back on the time you spend in the gym, but doing so will help your body establish regularity. At the same time, there’s no reason to stop doing the activities you enjoy. To that end, the workouts include at least one sport or activity day per week, depending on where you are in your cycle, so you can continue the activities you enjoy while still optimizing fertility.
Considerations
Not all women have the same cycle length. If your periods are irregular, absent, or heavy you will need to modify these workouts. You can add in rest days, repeat sessions, or do your own workouts at appropriate intensity. I recommend keeping a log of other markers such as energy levels, sex drive, and vaginal discharge to help you track where you are in your cycle.
Please note that this workout program is not intended to be a cure for infertility. However, when combined with support from a medical professional, I am confident it will help you become familiar with your cycle and work with it so you can optimize your chances of conceiving and stay active at the same time.
I wish you the best in your journey to pregnancy.
Click Here to Get Started on the Fertility Cycle!
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