My period started on Monday this week, so I thought I’d show you a little behind the scenes of what my training/exercise looked like whilst on my period.

Monday: Pilates in the morning which felt really hard. I started bleeding that afternoon.

Tuesday: Yoga

Wednesday: Walk with a friend

Thursday: Rest day (nothing)

Friday: Yoga

Some of my favourite KIC Yoga Flows and Pilates Workouts for this time of the month include Shine Bright with Laura (Yoga), Keep It Mellow (Yoga), Whole Body Burner (Pilates) and Top to Toe Pilates Circuit (Power Pilates).

On the first few days of your period, your oestrogen and progesterone levels drop which might leave you feeling sluggish, tired, or you might have period pain (like I did this week). Choosing lower impact and gentler forms of exercise like yoga might feel nicer on your body during this time.

After the first few days, your Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and estrogen levels start to rise and your follicular phase begins, which is usually where most women start to feel more energetic and productive. So towards the end of your menstrual bleed, you might start to feel like you can ramp your load of intensity back up.

The research behind this is still pretty limited, but some studies are finding that although the majority of women report exercise feeling harder or more effortful on their period, their performance actually remains unchanged.

The bottom line though is that everyone is different, and you may even notice differences within yourself from cycle to cycle. Some cycles I still feel up to strength training, others I find myself craving things like yoga and gentle movement. The key is to listen to your body; push when you feel up to it, and pull back when you don’t.

What exercise do you do when you have your period?