Boosting Energy Through Your Menstrual Cycle: Lifestyle Changes to Manage Fatigue and Enhance Well-being

Amanda Winstead

You woke up tired, and despite your regular caffeine fix, you still feel a bit slow. Your body feels heavier during your workout, and your brain feels filled with fog. Maybe you are just having an off day — or your menstrual cycle is to blame.

Your energy levels will rise and fall throughout the four phases of your menstrual cycle to account for how your body is changing. Typically, people feel their best and most alert during the follicular and ovulation phases, which occur for the first two weeks of the cycle, and they feel their worst and most fatigued during the luteal and menstrual phases, which occur during the last two weeks. Understanding your body’s patterns can help you plan your month for the most comfort and enjoyment, with more vigorous activities during those first two weeks and lazier days to follow.

If you are struggling to manage your rising and falling energy levels throughout your menstrual cycle, here are some tips and tricks for adjusting your lifestyle around your period.

Eating for Your Cycle

You might not be what you eat, but food does have a major impact on how you feel. Because the body is drawing extra energy during certain phases of your period, fueling your body with specific foods during certain times of the month can help you combat the worst fatigue symptoms and feel stronger throughout your cycle.

When your energy levels are naturally higher, you want to give your body balanced nutrition during the follicular and ovulation phases. Plenty of whole foods will keep your energy levels steady. Scientists have also found a link between diet and acne, so eating healthy will keep your skin looking fresh, too! Note that you may notice a craving for sweets around the time you ovulate, as your progesterone and estrogen levels will spike. You shouldn’t feel bad about a small treat, but you might want to keep healthier sweets on hand, like fruit or dark chocolate.

During the luteal phase, your hormones start to go haywire. It is a good idea to maintain a balanced, whole-food diet as best you can, but you may want to increase your consumption of healthy fats, especially omega-3s, which have been shown to reduce period-related pain. To thwart bloating during this period, you should up your water intake and avoid especially salty foods.
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There are many reasons you feel tired all the time during your period, from loss of sleep to iron-deficiency anemia to stress. As menstruation approaches, start cutting back on caffeine and adding foods high in magnesium, which can help improve your sleep and keep your fatigue in check. Then, when your period starts in earnest, you will need to add iron-rich foods to help your body avoid anemia as it loses blood. You shouldn’t worry too much about maintaining a perfect diet during this time, but you should try to stock your pantry with healthy options.

Exercising for Your Cycle

Contrary to expectations, exercise increases your energy levels — in time. Though individual workouts might leave you exhausted, a consistent exercise routine should help you feel more energized overall. However, because your body has less energy to spare during certain menstrual phases, you need to organize your workouts according to your cycle.

You should plan your highest-intensity workouts for the follicular phase when your body is best at accessing and using its energy stores. Your body is also best at building muscle during this phase, so you might emphasize workouts that help you improve your strength. You might try to push your personal records with weightlifting, try for longer, faster runs, or otherwise push your body to its limits — within reason, of course.

As your hormones increase in the luteal phase, your energy levels decrease. You can still work out, but your exercises will likely be lower intensity, focusing on endurance or mobility over power. You might plan to attend yoga classes, go for neighborhood walks, or swim, and you should give yourself plenty of recovery time.

It might be wise to rest your body for the duration of your period. Uncomfortable symptoms and particularly low energy levels can make exercise unpleasant during this time. As your flow lessens, you might be able to manage some low-intensity exercise, but you should always listen to your body for the best results.

Relaxing for Your Cycle

Stress is never good for your energy levels, so you should strive to stay relaxed throughout all four phases of your menstrual cycle. Some quick ways you can reduce stress and fight fatigue include:

• Optimizing sleep. Consistently good sleep hygiene is essential for long-term health. You should maintain a reliable sleep schedule, sleep in a comfortable and peaceful environment, and keep your thermostat low during sleeping hours to encourage a long, revitalizing rest.
• Enjoying warmth. Warmth can provide comfort and ease bodily aches and pains. You might hold a heating pad against your abdomen during your period, take a hot bath or shower, or drink warm beverages to keep your body comfortably warm.
• Meditating. The benefits of meditation are astonishing. You should try to incorporate meditation into your daily or weekly schedule to give your mind and body some outrageous advantages, such as higher pain tolerance and a healthier sex drive.

It may be hard to relax during your menstrual cycle, but incorporating these activities into your schedule can help.

The menstrual cycle can be draining — until you learn how to work with it. The sooner you plan your life around the rising and falling energy levels of your cycle, the sooner you can gain control over your feelings of fatigue.

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Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on X.