Putting Your Exercise Habits to the Test in the Luteal Phase
As you transition to the luteal phase, it may take a little more effort stick to your exercise habits. Check out the first blog in this series to learn how to create follicular phase momentum that you can use to your advantage in the closing weeks.
The luteal phase begins with a few low-hormone days following ovulation before ramping up production of estrogen and progesterone. And although progesterone can produce a calming effect on the brain, too little or too much can lead to brain fog.
When this neurochemistry is coupled with unpredictable energy levels and other physical symptoms, the luteal phase often puts your previously unstoppable habits to the test.
When brain fog sets in and energy levels are unpredictable, it’s important to stack the deck in your favor—creating a supportive environment and removing obstacles—to stay consistent with exercise.
Set and Setting—Creating a Supportive Environment
Stack the deck in your favor with an environment that improves your odds.
Keep your workout journal, clothes, etc. out where you can see them as a reminder of your commitment.
Listen to your favorite workout playlist as your sweat time approaches and set an alarm so you’re not tempted to miss your window. Program your reminder with a motivating mantra to help you get in the right mindset.
If you struggle with peeling yourself away from work or getting wrapped up in other tasks, consider starting your day with exercise as a failsafe against unexpected disruptions.
Gym and Studio Time
If you’re going to a gym or studio, make sure you love being there. The way it feels when you walk in, the way it smells, the way you’re treated.
Have your gym bag in the car and be efficient with travel time—stacking your sweat sesh with nearby errands or school drop-offs if possible.
Enjoy every part of the experience because your time and energy is valuable!
Home Practice
If you’re exercising at home, create a designated area for workouts so you’re not using the little time you have for setting up and storing equipment.
Surround yourself with mood-boosting elements like energizing essential oils (citrus, peppermint, ginger), mantras scribbled on post-it notes, or a photo of someone you love.
Keep it clean and organized so that all you have to do is show up.
Eliminate Obstacles
In his best-selling book Atomic Habits, James Clear confirms that successful habit formation relies on your ability to make it easy. This doesn’t mean that your workouts can’t be challenging, but rather that the critical path to showing up is free from obstacles.
Every task between you and your habit gives you an opportunity to procrastinate or worse, skip it altogether. For instance, if you have to go home after work to change your clothes before heading out to the gym there are countless obstacles—a late meeting, traffic delays, household responsibilities, etc.—that could sabotage your best effort at getting there.
This is a great time to identify, plan for, and eliminate potential obstacles ahead of time because despite feeling a bit foggy—and perhaps more irritable—during the luteal phase, you’re also more attuned to detail and have a strong desire for completing tasks.
Have a cycle-friendly plan that includes your warm-up/cool-down, movement programming, music or other audio, equipment, and space. This is sometimes the hardest part because it supplies the heaviest cognitive load, but eliminating this obstacle drastically improves your chances of a successful outcome.
If you can, create the above for a week of workouts according to your schedule. Or let lunae do it for you with a roadmap of workouts for each phase.
Prepare your clothing and workout fuel ahead of time to improve your presence and post-workout transition.
Have a standing meeting with yourself in your public calendar to avoid someone or something stealing that time slot.
Productive Pivots
Even the best laid exercise plans are subject to disruptions…
You may have your alarm set for an early workout, but a dip in late-luteal hormones disrupts sleep and leaves you lacking energy when it goes off.
Or maybe you planned to work out when your little ones were at school, but an unexpected illness has you on cuddle duty.
Perhaps you find yourself in a creative session with a client that benefits from an extra 30 minutes, but cuts into your sweat time.
When elements that are out of your control impact your exercise goals, identify the variables you can control to maximize your chances of consistency.
Always show up. Even if you’re late, make a point to show up for your practice. You may only have 10 minutes to walk around the block, but a little bit of movement reinforces the daily habit whereas skipping it altogether can set you back significantly.
Productive pivot. When your energy levels don’t match your plan, use the time you’ve earmarked for exercise for a productive activity instead. It can be anything that keeps you in the habitual daily rhythm of dedicated time. Your brain chemistry in the luteal phase supports nesting behavior so it’s a perfect time for deep cleaning your home, organizing a chaotic closet, washing your car, etc.
It’s never too late. When your day gets away from you and you’ve missed multiple opportunities to exercise, there is always time to practice before you pour yourself into bed. Consider a few minutes of deep breathing, a quick yoga session, or deeply relaxing meditation to prepare you for sleep. Everything counts!
Have a Backup Plan
When PMS hits or your energy takes a nosedive at the end of the luteal phase, find a trusted feel-good movement session that you can rely on to elevate your mood. (Here’s mine!) This is a great backup strategy when you’re not jazzed about your original workout plan or when disruptions get in the way.
Last, but not least, let’s reframe exercise habits in the menstrual phase as an opportunity for reflection, realignment, and rest.
Vitti, A. (2020). In the Flo: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hausmann, M., Slabbekoorn, D., Van Goozen, S. H., Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., & Güntürkün, O. (2000). Sex hormones affect spatial abilities during the menstrual cycle. Behavioral neuroscience, 114(6), 1245–1250. https://doi.org/10.1037//0735-7044.114.6.1245
J.C. Dreher, P.J. Schmidt, P. Kohn, D. Furman, D. Rubinow, K.F. Berman Menstrual cycle phase modulates reward-related neural function in women PNAS, 104 (2007), pp. 2465-2470, 10.1073/pnas.0605569104
Dema Hussain, Sarah Hanafi, Kyoko Konishi, Wayne G. Brake, Véronique D. Bohbot. Modulation of spatial and response strategies by phase of the menstrual cycle in women tested in a virtual navigation task. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2016; 70: 108 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.008
