The new meaning of “cross-training” your exercise routine

Do you ever beat yourself up for not being consistent with your bootcamp class?Do you feel too tired at certain times of the month and chalk it up to laziness? So many women feel burnt-out and demotivated half the month when going through the same workout routine. Well I have good news for you, my dears! It’s not you, it’s your hormones! There is a new way to “cross-train” your exercise routine that will actually have you feeling awesome all month long. All it takes is a little hormone cycle awareness - you can start by noticing exactly when it is that you feel less than enthusiastic about your workout. You do feel differently at different times during your cycle. Your body is primed and ready for certain kinds of exercise – like intense cardio versus yoga – depending on where your hormones are at.In this I simply break down the 4 different phases of your menstrual cycle and explain what’s happening with your hormones week-to-week.

As I’ve said here, each hormonal phase brings with it different strengths, powers, and abilities you can bring to your exercise routine to make sure you love what you’re doing all month, as well as get the most out of it - whether that’s meeting your weight loss goal, or just feeling happy and healthy.

Your follicular phase is a great time to try something new - a class you’ve always been curious about, a new routine you want to master. It’s also a great time for heavy-cardio classes. You have more energy and you’re super capable at dominating new skills.

Your ovulatory phase is a great time to focus on your strength training - whether that’s using kettle bells, weightlifting, interval training, or a bootcamp. Your luteal phase can be when you currently feel low energy, demotivated, and tired. This is when many women fall behind on their work outs, if they’re trying to do the same thing they were doing the last couple of weeks. This is a great time to switch things up to an intense yoga class, pilates, or something involving a lot of gradual movement and stretching. Cardio is not great at this time and will make you feel a little overwhelmed and tired.

Nearer to your menstruation phase is a good time for light yoga or hiking. You can keep moving without stressing your body.

During your menstruation phase, when you have your period, you should feel free to skip the workout. Just take a nice walk around your neighborhood or do some morning stretches. If you skip the workout for these few days, you’ll feel more energized and enthused for your exercise routine the rest of the month. Your energy is bound to be low at this time, so go with it, have some quiet time - take hot baths and practice self-care, which is all part of a holistic, complete approach to your health. Sleep is super important now, and actually vital for your physical health. Research has shown that one night of poor sleep is the equivalent to 6 months eating a diet high in bad fats.Cycle awareness and cycle syncing when it comes to working out can save you from exhaustion, burn-out, hormonal imbalance-based health issues, injury and boredom! For more ideas on work outs to try during each hormonal phase go here for a breakdown. Plus check out these phase-divided work outs you can follow at home for free, from great instructors across Youtube. On the FLO Living YouTube channel I have 4 hormonal phase-specific yoga workouts you can do at home, led by my friend and FLO graduation, Emily, a certified yoga instructor. Try the follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual routines she has devised as someone now totally in-tune with her hormones. Too often we as women blame ourselves for not being able to operate at the same energy level every day and we get frustrated for not staying physically active because of it. I want that to stop, today! I can’t wait to hear how your body responds to this new approach to exercise.Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!To your FLO,Alisa

Do You Know the Easiest Way to Fix Your Period Symptoms?

You don’t need to keep suffering with annoying symptoms that drain your energy for 1-2 weeks every single month. In fact, you can start having a better period as soon as your next period.MyFLO is the first-ever functional medicine period tracker that ALSO helps you fix your symptoms. MyFLO will help you understand why you have symptoms and what to do to improve them with food. It will also teach you how to Cycle Sync™ the 5 main areas of your life: food, exercise, work, relationships, and sex.Have a Better Period with MyFLOWhen you follow MyFLO’s weekly recommendations, you’ll get rid of frustrating symptoms and learn how to optimize your energy to be more productive and have better relationships.Click here to get MyFLO for iPhoneClick here to get MyFLO for Android