Freedom in Movement
I posted about finding freedom in movement a few weeks ago and it seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I wanted to Blog about finding joy in exercise but also about the importance of rest and understanding the female cycle and how it can affect our movement and energy throughout the month.
With holiday season pending the gyms are busier and people are talking about getting their ‘summer body ready’. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a healthy goal to work towards with your fitness be it for aesthetic or health reasons. Once the long dreary winter months are passed we all feel more energised and people are likely to get moving.
Some things to consider with your fitness;
Rest
Rest is just as important as movement. Muscle is actually developed in it’s rest phase when you’re resting and refuelling. Your body needs time to recover and repair between workouts and it’s a critical part of your progress. Skipping rest days can lead to burnout or worse still, injury. It’s important to identify when you are lacking motivation versus your body saying no and needing rest. Other important factors to consider are nutrition and recovery methods such as sports massage, foam rolling and techniques such as saunas and cold therapies but be sure to take some professional advice on this if you are new to it.
I’m a big fan of sports massage to support the impact on my dancing legs and regularly see my physio Joe Dyer for this. (Based in Kingston upon Thames)
The Female Cycle
There is much advice surrounding menopause and peri menopause right now online but don’t forget the female cycle for those still in this stage. This has a huge impact on our energy levels and ability to train to maximum effort at different times of the month. There are four stages of the female cycle; 1. Menstruation 2. Follicular phase 3. Ovulation 4. Luteal phase.
During menstruation you are likely to feel fatigued or experience discomfort so lighter exercise is advised. Once in the Follicular phase which is a week or so after your period your oestrogen is high and your body is primed to maximise hard training efforts so hit that cardio if you’re feeling it! It’s also advised to add fermented and high fibre foods to your diet to support high levels of oestrogen at this time. Stage three is Ovulation and your= may continue to experience similar energy levels as follicular so continue to train with as much effort as you want to. Finally we hit the luteal phase and this is the time to respect your body’s high hormonal load. Switch to low intensity workouts if you’re feeling lower in energy and avoid caffeine, alcohol and salt which can trigger period cramps.
Something to bear in mind is that we are all made up differently but tune into your body and I hope these tips help you. Happy moving!
Freedom in Movement
Finding joy in exercise is key to consistency. If you take up running but you hate running you won’t enjoy it or be able to really immerse yourself in it. Find a way to exercise that you actually enjoy and it will empower you. Dance is popular because the combination of music and dynamic movements are so uplifting. Find joy, release, balance and most importantly find yourself in movement. I hope however you choose to move it makes you feel good, empowers you to make moves in your life and you discover the great parts of yourself.
There just a few weeks to go until Wellnergy Festival and I have a great dance workout lined up. Tickets are available here. I hope to see some of you there.
Have a great week ahead and join us on IG for all the updates.
TDB X
