Do You Need to Sync Your Entire Life to Your Cycle?

Syncing Your Entire Life to Your Cycle

Can we control our hormones? It's an age-old question, and for many, a monthly wish. That's where the concept of cycle-syncing, or adjusting lifestyle habits to optimize well-being during each phase of your menstrual cycle, comes in. Brands including Nike, Pvolve, Whoop, and Alo Moves are jumping in on the trend, with the latter recently launching Syncd. The catch? There's no one-size-fits-all approach to hormones. 

Wait, how is cycle-syncing supposed to work?

A typical menstrual cycle has four distinct phases. A cycle-syncing plan might look like: 

• Menstruation: The uterus sheds its lining, and estrogen and progesterone are lower. You might up your iron intake and do low-intensity exercises such as walking or yoga.

• Follicular: Estrogen levels start to rise. You'd potentially incorporate more cardio workouts and eat more protein and complex carbs to maintain your energy.

• Ovulation: Estrogen levels peak, an egg is released, and progesterone levels rise. You might continue challenging workouts as energy levels can be particularly high, and keep eating foods that help balance estrogen, like cruciferous vegetables.  

• Luteal: Progesterone and estrogen are both high. Without pregnancy, hormone levels drop, and the cycle begins again. You'd opt for light activity along with energy-sustaining foods and protein. 

The goal of cycle-syncing is to work with these energy shifts instead of against them, says Susan Albers-Bowling, PsyD, a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic's Women's Health Center. "Intuitively, if you ask any woman, they're aware of shifts in their energy level throughout the month," she says.

But, the benefits of cycle-syncing are still mainly anecdotal. There's no proven correlation between a particular phase and feeling a certain way, adds Nicole Calloway Rankins, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN and maternal health advocate. Hormones are just a small piece to the complex puzzle of your well-being. 

Your move

Following guidance about what to eat and how to exercise during your menstrual cycle may not be the holy grail of health hacks you want it to be, but one advantage of cycle-syncing is that it gets you to pay closer attention to your body. Learn more about how your hormonal patterns might affect you by logging how you feel throughout your cycle, safely adjust your activity or diet, and simply see what happens.

We asked you to vote on a question you’d like answered. The winner was:

Is wearing underwear to bed bad for you? 

FEATURED EXPERT:

Kristen Venuti, MD

A board-certified OB-GYN at Northwestern Medical Group

“It's a personal preference. If you have tight-fitting underwear and you're sweating, [it could be irritating]. But if you wear comfortable, loose-fitting underwear, it’s fine. [Cotton] is the least irritating. What you're washing it with [is more likely to cause problems].

“A lot of times people will get infections [from dirty underwear]. If your tight underwear is creating a moist environment then [it could cause irritation]. But if it's loose-fitting [and] comfortable, then that is fine. The point is having an environment that is keeping things dry and clean, [and] not having a sweaty moist area, because that's going to be a breeding ground for [bacteria].”

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Minaa B.

Credentials: Therapist, social worker, and mental health educator

Where to follow: @minaa_b on Instagram and @mindflwithminaa on TikTok

Why we follow: Fact: Therapy is inaccessible to many of us. Also a fact: We still could use some therapy. That’s where Minaa B. comes in. While social media can't replace actual therapy, Minaa’s content, “Mindfl with Minaa” newsletter, and new book, “Owning Our Struggles,” aims to offer resources for healing that are often out-of-reach. In your feed, you’ll find guidance on how to build resilience, how to cultivate healthy relationships, and what behaviors it’s time to unlearn as you overcome trauma (such as redefining what being “nice” means). Get ready for some much-needed validation and sense of empowerment reminding you that you’re in control of your personal growth journey.

Here are today's recs for a life well-lived.

1. Our official review of Hoka sneakers.

Wondering if you should get in on the trend? Here’s our take on two different styles. (Spoiler alert: We loved them.)

2. A teeth-whitening kit we swear by.

If you want quick results and a gentle formula, Laughland’s whitening system is for you.

3. Products to help if you’re going through menopause.

From cooling bamboo PJs to a serum that smooths and firms your neck skin, here are our picks to help ease your symptoms.

“Trench Foot 2023”

— What some festivalgoers are calling Burning Man after heavy rain left many attendees walking barefoot in mud. Don't forget about "playa foot."