I Tried the Psycle With Your Cycle Period-Proofing Workout Programme

Image Source: Psycle

Do you feel a bit sluggish and lacking in motivation to exercise when on your period? Yep, me too. Throw into the mix abdominal cramps, constant bloating, headaches, low energy, and the desire to curl up in bed and you can see why energy isn't top of my priorities list during my period. With as many as three out of every four women suffering from at least one symptom of PMS during their menstrual cycle and reports showing that over 40 percent of women who exercise regularly believe that their menstrual cycle has a negative impact on their training and performance, it feels like exercise and periods just don't mix — but that doesn't have to be the case.

I exercise regularly, give or take a few days off around and during my period, as it always feels like a bit more of an effort. Working out is often the last thing I want to do while I'm feeling so fatigued, but when boutique fitness brand Psycle's email landed in my inbox, titled "Psycle with your Cycle", I knew this wasn't going to be any old ordinary workout plan. With a promise of "feel that [your] cycle is working with you to enhance your workouts and enable you to overcome or minimise the times when your cycle might be working against you," I needed no more convincing to give it a go.

I'm always up for a new workout challenge and one that is tailored to your natural hormonal changes was a no-brainer for me. I normally opt for barre classes at home, combined with cardio in the form of running, so I was keen to see how I could combine my fitness regimen to be in more in line with my period.

Image Source: Psycle

The Program

I set up my online account with the Psycle at-home membership for the month of March (£29, or for new members you can access a 30-day free trial). Psycle's approach is exercise tied to menstrual phases and tailored to hormonal changes and specific symptoms that your body faces during those phases. Psycle and its trainers worked closely with NHS doctor Dr Frankie Jackson-Spence on how women can best connect their hormonal cycles to their fitness routine.

There are 24 workouts to complete in the 30 days of the programme, and if you happen to complete all 24 workouts and want an extra fitness boost, there's an array of videos to dip into on the subscription platform, too. For the Psycle with your cycle programme, there are two phases:

The follicular phase (day 1-14) combines more vigorous, challenging workouts, as this is when high oestrogen levels allow you to build more muscle, lift heavier weights, push yourself further, and recover faster.
The luteal phase (day 14-30) features more bodyweight-focused workouts, such as barre and yoga, when tendons and muscles are more prone to injury — barre classes have been known to improve bone density.

Why it is important to adapt your workout to focus on the phases of the menstrual cycle?
Well, let's face it: your mood and energy levels consistently change due to fluctuations in hormones during each phase of your menstrual cycle, something that's been backed up by studies like this one, which prove that hormonal changes affect every aspect of your body physically and mentally.

"Hormones are involved in many major aspects of our life and health: inflammation, metabolism, weight, fertility and mental state," Maria Eleftheriou, head of barre, explains. "Hormones control how we act, move, and feel, which can change day to day and through our cycle. Because of this, we need to be prepared to adapt to that to feel the best we can, as well as give ourselves a break if we aren't running on as much as power some days. When the body is stressed physically or psychologically, it stops regulating hormones, so the body will go into fight or flight mode — spiking and then crashing its cortisol. If hormones are imbalanced, the wrong exercise can sometimes create more stress on the adrenal glands and metabolism."

My experience with the Psycle with your cycle programme:

The follicular phase (first two weeks of your cycle)
Two days later than usual, my period arrives. As programme recommends opting for more vigorous, challenging workouts for the first two weeks of my cycle, I feel apprehensive. I usually stay well clear of intense workouts like Spin and strength training when my period arrives, opting for more mat-based classes. I start at lunchtime with the first video on the programme, Amy's high-intensity, 30-minute strength workout using dumbbells. I've recently added a set of 8kg dumbbells to my collection, as since lockdown I enjoy working out more at home — it's so much easier to balance my time with two small children. Two minutes in, and I was sweating more than usual, although it did say this will make you sweat from start to finish. Even better, the post-workout endorphins I got from this class lasted a good few hours, and my gosh, did I ache the next day: getting up from my makeshift home desk was a struggle — but the good sort of DOMS you get from a great workout.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kirsty Welsh

Interestingly, I kind of forgot about my cycle completely, apart from the odd cramp here or there. I gave myself a day off to recover and repair from the workout and went for a brisk walk instead the next day. On day three, I woke up and, even though I was aching from working out the previous day, I felt more energised than usual in the morning, even after my 1-year-old woke up a couple of times through the night. That day, I picked another high intensity met-con strength class (basically an allover explosive sweaty workout) using your own body weight. This was a killer; I always go for half a burpee, but today, I felt like I had more energy to give it my all and could perform the whole burpee with a full push-up — I've never seen my face so red after a home-workout class.

"With increasing oestrogen levels, you may notice higher energy levels and be able to work out at a greater intensity'", Dr Jackson-Spence explained. I certainly felt that after two weeks of strength and vigorous training, I could push myself further and recovered faster after the first few days. My Apple watch has never seen so many high-endurance workouts in two weeks!

The luteal phase (second two weeks of your cycle)

As I enter the luteal phase, I'm definitely feeling a bit sluggish and bloated, but I was looking forward to this part of the programme, as it allowed me to tap into my love of all things barre, combined with some relaxing yoga.

I'm a big fan of Psycle's studio barre classes already, especially Maria's classes. There's just something about her barre classes that makes you feel like you can achieve anything after you've completed a single class. So, I thought what better way to start the second stage of the programme than with Maria's 30-minute signature barre class? The leg shake happening during the session was unreal. I kept pushing myself through to the end of the class, and it was worth it. With barre, the postclass endorphin rush is intense (and so worth it!)

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kirsty Welsh

I gave myself a Saturday off to recover, and on Sunday, my body was craving something more relaxing, so I listened (for once) and leaned into my need to stretch and take a step back after a hectic week juggling mum life and work. I wasn't feeling up to working out, so I opted for Gemma's Yin class to relax and destress. Boy, did I feel super chilled out afterwards, and I slept so well; no waking up at 4 a.m. and not being able to get back to sleep for me.

I was heading into London on Thursday and thought about mixing up the plan with a class at Psycle's flagship Mortimer Street studio. I booked a 55-minute barre class with Beth, and this really was the variety I needed. Adjustments, music, and attendees going through the same 55 minutes of good pain as I was pushed me to achieve more, and I came out feeling super energised. And no trip to the studio is complete without picking up a nutritious post-workout smoothie, right?

One class that pushed me to the absolute extreme was barre deep burn, aka 45 minutes of pure shaking and trembling. This was more of an advanced class, so I knew I had to tick this one off my list first thing in the morning when I have the most energy; I find it really sets me up for the day and transforms my low mood. I ended the programme with a bang, a revival yoga class, which is perfect if you want to stretch out but get a bit sweaty, too. I really felt renewed and ready for my next challenge.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kirsty Welsh

Final verdict on Psycle with your cycle programme:
I definitely felt my mood was better overall after the programme. I wasn't snapping at others and being short, which I have the tendency to do before my period. I had serious workout endorphins going on, I felt mentally stronger, and my body felt different after 30 days. I was tighter around the waistline and noticed more definition appearing around my arms, which I really wanted to target.

I usually suffer with insomnia around the start of my cycle. Without fail, I would wake up at 4 a.m., toss and turn for 30 minutes, and eventually end up dragging myself out of bed extremely early as I couldn't settle back to sleep. This time, I didn't experience any insomnia, maybe because I'm switching things up and dialling into what my body craves. Don't get me wrong: there are still some days when I'm fatigued, but with Psycle's plan — which is specifically designed to help women get their bodies to work as they naturally should — I certainly felt more in sync with my natural rhythm.

If you're keen to try Psycle's Period-Proofing programme, I would definitely factor in a nutrition plan to complement the workout plan and to combine home workouts with a studio workout if you're lucky enough to live near a studio and you get bored of working out at home. After decades of training, I never once thought before to tailor my workout plan to be more in tune with my hormonal cycle, and now I'm a total convert. My only tweak? Switching a couple of ride sessions for outdoor running to get that added vitamin D fix.

Psycle at Home is available online now at £29 for a monthly membership or £240 for an annual membership. If you're new to Psycle online, you can try out all that Psycle at Home has to offer via their 30-day free trial. Psycle Studio classes start at £25 per class.