Tag: movement

Follow the Rhythm of Your Monthly Cycle and Optimize Your Training

 

Did you know that as females, we run on two different biological clocks? We have a circadian rhythm that runs on a 24-hour cycle and the infradian rhythm that runs on a 28-day cycle. Everyone has a circadian rhythm. It runs many physiological processes such as a cortisol spike in the morning to wake you up and melatonin in the evening to lead you into sleep. It regulates digestion, body temperature, metabolism, sleep, elimination, and more. Your circadian clock is relatively the same day in and day out. From puberty until menopause, females have a second clock that is not often talked about but has tremendous effects on our energy levels, workflow, and you guessed it – our exercise tolerance. So here is everything you didn’t know you needed to know about your infradian clock so you can work smarter, not harder and train like a girl. 

 

The infradian rhythm aligns with your menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle has four phases – follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual. Hormones fluctuate in each phase. Disruption of this clock can affect your physical health and lead to a range of problems from poor skin health, gut health, low energy, mental health changes, etc. The first step to training like a girl is to heal any hormonal imbalances to align with your body’s natural monthly rhythm, a topic that deserves more space than this article can provide so please seek out more resources to heal hormone imbalances if this is you. 

 

The follicular phase begins right after your bleed ends, lasting for 7-10 days. All hormones are low and begin to increase in concentration. It’s the phase to prepare and begin again. The ovulatory phase (3-4 days) happens with a stark rise in estrogen and luteinizing hormone to stimulate follicule maturity and egg release. Testosterone rises as well. This is a time to socialize, try new things, and open up. Next is the luteal phase. Lasting 10-14 days, this is where estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone reach their peak concentration and then begin to fall to their lowest levels, right before bleeding begins. PMS is a common (but not necessary) symptom in this phase. It’s a natural time to complete tasks, draw inward, and organize your space. Lastly, the menstrual phase lasts 3-7 days and is categorized by the bleed as the uterus sheds the endometrial lining. Hormones fall to their lowest concentrations. It’s a great phase to rest and reflect. Now that you are familiar with your female biology, let’s see how you can use it to your advantage when training. 

 

• Follicular phase: energy is rising after a time of rest. You are naturally open to new things so shake it up with a new instructor on LYT PRIME. 
• Ovulatory phase: Estrogen and testosterone are peaking meaning you have energy to burn. Turn your training up a notch with more advanced classes or LYT HIIT (high-intensity-interval-training). 
• Luteal phase: In the first 5 days, energy will still be high as estrogen and testosterone have not declined yet. As progesterone rises, calm the cardio and focus on strength training as your hormone levels are prime for maximizing lean muscle gains. During the second half of the luteal phase, all hormones start to decline which will affect your ability to build muscle. Switch your training to focus on mobility and slow flow classes. 
• Menstrual phase: hormones are at their lowest and your energy is low as a result. Avoid high-intensity training and focus on more restorative or stretch classes. 

 

Here is sample chart of how to structure your LYT Daily and LYT PRIME subscriptions to align with your infradian rhythm: 

 

Follicular Phase	Ovulatory Phase	Luteal Phase	Menstrual Phase
Full week of trying      new classes/instructors           on LYT PRIME	LYT HIIT  Workshops  Intermediate & Advanced classes	First half:  Strengthening      Full Body      Second half:  Slow Flow  Posture  Foundational	Meditation      Breath Stretch Bliss

 

Rather than force yourself to train the same every single day and beat yourself up for not being able to “keep up” like you usually can, try training in a more cyclical nature. When I finally let go of needing to be consistent in that way and instead allowed myself more rest in my late luteal and menstrual phases, I was surprised to find I had more energy, better results, and more mental wellbeing. Train like a girl and embrace your feminine rhythm to unlock your yoga practice in a new way. 

 

Reach out and tell me how it feels! I would love to hear from you. 

 

XO, 

Thalia Wynne, PT, DPT, AT

@thalialovee 

 

Source: In the FLO by Alisa Vitti

by Sarah kingsley

 

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain today. Best known for its hallmark sign of a nagging, aching, burning, or stabbing pain in the heel or bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis is often felt first thing in the morning when you put your feet down on the ground. The thick band of connective tissue on your foot that connects the calcaneus (heel bone) to the toes becomes dense, restricted, and leads to pulling and pain throughout the foot and ankle complex. The reasoning for this is largely unknown, however, it is especially common in runners and those who are overweight. The connection has to do with the major fascial connective system that surrounds every tissue in our body. The positioning of the pelvis plays a major role down the fascial chain, creating 2000lb/square inch of pressure. That’s the equivalent of a steel cable pushing you forward into this anteriorly tipped position! This is evident in runners due to restrictions in their hip flexors and repetitive forward momentum, and those who are overweight due to the abdominal distension pulling them forward. This immense pressure is translated down into the feet, causing pain.

 

Breaking up the fascia is the best way to find immediate symptom relief. This can be done using stainless steel instruments (or a utensil such as a butter knife) to scrape away at the bottom of the foot in various directions, around the heel, and up into the calf region. Standing on a vibration platform is also great for breaking up fascial adhesions and restrictions. You can stand statically, or perform calf raises and toe raises, bending at the base of the ankle and keeping the base of your toes down and spread wide. A third way to break down adhesions is with eccentric exercise – strengthening in the lengthening phase of a contraction. An eccentric calf raise works wonders for the gastroc/soleus complex that connects to the plantar fascia through the Achilles tendon. Stand at the edge of a step (or even better at the edge of your vibration plate!) and quickly press down through the base of your toes to lift your heels, then slowly lower the heels down as far as possible, feeling a stretch in the back of your calves before quickly lifting the heels back up and repeating. Each time you should feel yourself being able to go down a little bit lower. But don’t forget the position of your pelvis! Scoop your low belly up and in and maintain a neutral pelvis as best as possible during the exercise.

 

For long-term symptom relief, we need to address the source of the issue – which is likely the positioning of your pelvis! The two most common populations to experience this type of pain are often known for an anteriorly tipped pelvis (pitched forward in space). Restrictions in the hip flexor muscles coupled with weak gluteals and hip extensors to counteract these forces create a perfect recipe for disaster! Our LYT yoga practice moves us through the perfect exercises to correct these forces. A few to try out:

1. Stretch the hip flexors in the 90/90 lunge position, activating the back gluteal and engaging your abdominals to feel a stretch in the front of the hip and thigh.
2.  When on your back with your knees bent, bring your hands to your thighs and press them away as you pull your belly to your spine and root your tail towards your heels to create a tractioning of the hips and low back biasing posterior pelvic tilt holding for 3 seconds and relaxing.
3. Progress to actively work the gluteals and hip extensors by performing a bridging motion lifting the hips up, and staying low not to overly activate the spinal extensors as a substitution.

 

Stretching the calf muscles can also help relieve symptoms. Begin facing a wall with your hands on the wall and one foot in front of the other in a staggered stance position. Make sure your toes are pointed forwards. Keep your back heel down as you bend into your front knee until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf on the back leg. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. Perform this exercise both with your back knee in the straightened/extended and in the bent positions to be sure to get both your gastroc and soleus muscles respectively.

 

Using a brace to keep your ankle in a neutral position or to provide a passive stretch into the dorsiflexed position while sleeping can also provide a passive stretch to the fascial tissues and help prevent pain upon waking in the morning.

 

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-fasciitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354846