How to Exercise With Your Menstrual Cycle (Not Against It)

I was talking to a friend this week about movement and how it ties in with cyclical practices. Naturally, I had a lot to say on the matter.

So this week's question is...

How do we move cyclically?

You may or may not know that I started my reign as The Period Princess as a cyclical yoga teacher. It was the first iteration of my business after I did my yoga teacher training. (Because after paying for that special interest moment, I needed to find a way to use it... hazards of being AuDHD)

But yoga's been a long-term love affair.

While other interests have shapeshifted and spiralled off in various directions, yoga's stayed put. It's the backbone of my self-care, the thing I return to, and it's always been a constant.

I still teach one class a week with a group of incredible humans. Honestly, I think we might laugh more than we yoga some weeks, and I'm not mad about it.

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Movement has always been a non-negotiable for me.

Over the years, it's taken many forms. I've tried every type of movement going... running, swimming, HIIT classes, body pump, body combat, aerial yoga, and more... if it's been on a class schedule, I've probably flung myself at it.

Shocker... things tend to come and go for me as momentary fixations thanks to ADHD. But unlike the time I was convinced I was going to become a crocheting and felting expert, yoga's the hobby that stuck, proving it's a long-term autistic special interest for me.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not some serene, Instagram-worthy bendy goddess (well, maybe a little bit bendy). And if you know me, you'll know my default mode is to bring the drama and tears in any stressful situation, because that's just how I process.

But it is true to say that I don't as much as I used to (well, until perimenopause hit).

I truly believe yoga has been one of the most important practices I've had to help me process emotion in a way that's physically grounding, and it will continue to be as the peri perimenopause takes over. My mat has seen it all!

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The running comeback

Something else that's kept me grounded, and made a surprising comeback in my 40s after I was fairly convinced my knees were done for, is running.

For the last few years, my daily walk (plus yoga) has been my baseline for mental health. Getting outside and catching sunlight is one of the most grounding parts of my day, either first thing in the morning or after work, to shake it all off.

But last year, a friend said she'd set herself a goal of 52 runs for the year. Just one a week... that seemed doable.

So I thought, sod it, I'll give it a go.

And I've found that, as my muscles and tolerance have built, I have gradually moved to two runs a week, and it still feels manageable. That never used to be the case.

If you want to know what I learned from that first year of cyclical running, you can read that blog HERE.

This is a far cry from the way I used to run.

I used to be that person who believed in "no pain, no gain." Always push harder, go faster, and never stop improving. One guess why that didn't work out.

Not only was it totally unsustainable, on account of the fact that I wasn't trying to be an athlete, just a person having a life and living well. But also in terms of my spicy brain, I made it boring and rigid!

But I think what shifted was that I made it cyclical. Not in a woo-woo kind of way, but in a "what does my body need this week?" kind of way.

Making things cyclical gives space for flux, for listening in, and for adapting to meet yourself where you are each day, before your brain taps out and you yeet your trainers into the bin out of pure rage.

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What moving cyclically actually means

Let me explain what that actually means when it comes to movement.

It starts with noticing that your energy (physical, mental, emotional) it isn't static.

It changes across the menstrual cycle, yes, even if yours is irregular, on pause, or perimenopausal chaos. The idea is to stop pushing through like you're a robot and instead give yourself permission to play!

Flexibility and flow over prescription and performance!

So, we've got the four phases...

🩸 Menstruation 🌸 Pre-ovulation ☀️ Ovulation 🍂 Pre-menstruation

Or think... Bleed. Build. Peak. Wobble.

Each phase brings a different energy vibe, and you can work with that in a way that actually supports your body instead of constantly pushing against it.

Here's how it looks in practice, and remember this isn't a rigid routine, just a framework to play with.

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Movement across the four phases

🩸 Menstruation

Energy is lower here low, tolerance is lower, and frankly, it's not the time to be a hero.

Think gentle walks, yin or restorative yoga or stretching on the floor in your pyjamas while watching Netflix.

I still run during this phase, but I switch to 1-minute intervals (1 minute running, 1 minute walking) because it's sustainable, not punishing.

For those with neurodivergent brains, this phase can hit harder, sensory sensitivity tends to peak when oestrogen drops, so if everything feels like too much, permission to sit this one out.

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🧠 Science Snack

You might have heard that you "shouldn't" do cardio while menstruating, but that advice can be just as restrictive as the old "no pain, no gain" gym culture.

For some people, gentle running or fast walking during their period feels amazing. For others, it's a hard no. Both are valid.

The point is, your body doesn't need more rules. It needs feedback and flexibility. The more you can respond to what your energy is doing (not what an app says it should be doing), the more enjoyable your movement will be.

So yes, building strength matters, but so does doing it in a way that feels adaptable, repeatable and kind matters more.

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🌱 Pre-ovulation

Energy's rising here, focus is clearer, things feel a little more possible.

This is a good time to increase intensity gradually. Try longer walks, flowy yoga, easy cycling, or Pilates. If you like running, start building up intervals. Just notice what feels available to you and follow it.

For neurodivergent folks, this is often when hyperfocus kicks back in, so it can be a good phase to try something new or restart a movement habit that's slipped.

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☀️ Ovulation

This is peak mojo phase. Strength, stamina, coordination, this is the window to go bigger if you want to.

If movement's already part of your routine, this is the time to push a little, for cardio, lifting heavier, or going longer. If you run, this might be your 5-min run / 1-min walk phase.

If you're more of a walker, try going faster or further. The point is to lean into the energy and be curious.

For those with spicy brains, ovulation can feel like you can take on the world, but it can equally feel completely overwhelming.

So it's worth checking in with yourself here rather than assuming more is always better. Push if it feels good. Drop it back and be a bit kinder to yourself if it doesn't. Both are valid responses to the same phase.

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🍂 Pre-menstruation

Welcome to the wobble. Some days you'll have loads of energy. Other days will end up in a rage walk with a side tantrum. Totally normal.

Keep things steady and grounded with slower strength-based movement like Pilates or functional training, walks with a podcast, yoga that helps you feel anchored, or a return to gentler practices that still feel supportive.

Try for awareness over consistency. What would feel good today? That's your starting point.

For neurodivergent brains, emotional regulation can get genuinely wobbly here as progesterone shifts, so if your tolerance is on the floor and everything feels spiky, movement that feels grounding rather than depleting is going to be your friend.

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Start with curiosity

The point is, we're not designed to do the same thing the same way, day in, day out.

If you find yourself struggling at different points across the month, that's worth getting curious about. It might not be a motivation problem or a discipline problem. It might just be that what you're asking of your body isn't what your body needs right now.

And that just takes a little bit of curiosity.

Some mornings I wake up, and instead of trying to beast myself into whatever routine I'd planned, I just ask, what can I do today? And then I go with that. It's a small shift, but it's a much more honest conversation with myself than pretending I'm the same person I was three days ago.

It's not just about doing less. Its doing differently, in a way that's aligned with what you actually need, rather than forcing something that was never going to fit.