Strength Training and your Menstrual Cycle:

Your Body Feels Different Week to Week

Most women have experienced it — one week you feel powerful, steady and capable of taking on any workout… and then the next week, everything feels heavier, slower and more draining than usual. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not a lack of effort, motivation or ability. It’s biology.

Understanding how strength shifts throughout the menstrual cycle gives women permission to work with their bodies, not against them. And at Awaken, this understanding shapes the way we approach Pilates, yoga and mindful movement — creating a space where you feel supported no matter where you are in your cycle.

Week 1: Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5)

As your period begins, hormone levels (estrogen and progesterone) drop. This hormonal dip can bring:

• Lower energy

• Increased fatigue

• Slower recovery

• A sense of heaviness or weakness
  

How this affects strength: Your body is doing internal work, so it’s normal for your strength and endurance to feel reduced. This doesn’t mean you’re losing fitness — it’s simply a temporary shift.

Best approach at Awaken: Gentle Pilates, mobility-based sessions and yoga are wonderful here. Yoga helps reduce cramping, ease tension in the hips and lower back, and support mental calm when you’re not feeling your best. Many women also find slow, mindful reformer work soothing rather than stressful.

Week 2: Follicular Phase (Days 6–12)

As estrogen rises, everything starts to feel lighter and easier.

You may notice:

• Better mood

• More energy

• Improved coordination

• Faster recovery

• A natural willingness to challenge yourself
  

How this affects strength: This is often when strength starts climbing back up. Your body tolerates load better and feels more responsive.

Best approach at Awaken: This is a great time to lean into strength-focused reformer classes, try new exercises or push for small progressions. You’ll likely feel more stable, controlled and powerful.

Week 3: Ovulation (Around Day 13–15)

Estrogen peaks, testosterone increases slightly, and your nervous system is primed.

You may feel:

• Strong

• Confident

• Explosive

• Energised
  

How this affects strength: This is often the strongest phase for many women — the days when you nail the movements that sometimes feel impossible.

Best approach at Awaken: Strength-based reformer sessions and dynamic classes can feel great here. Your muscle activation, coordination and output are all naturally elevated.

Week 4: Luteal Phase (Days 16–28)

Progesterone rises in preparation for your next cycle. This hormone is calming but can also make you feel slower and more fatigued. Toward the end of this phase, PMS symptoms may begin.

You may notice:

• Bloating

• Lower energy

• Slower strength output

• Mood fluctuations

• Reduced motivation

• Difficulty with movements that normally feel easy
  

How this affects strength: Strength can dip here, especially in the days right before your period. Your body is preparing for the next cycle, and the combination of hormonal changes, inflammation and fatigue can affect performance.

Best approach at Awaken: This is where yoga becomes incredibly powerful again — grounding the nervous system, reducing tension and helping you feel centred. Pilates can still feel amazing, but lower resistance, slower tempo and more mindful movement often work best.

Why Understanding This Matters

When women understand the cycle’s natural rhythm, the pressure to “be strong every day” disappears. Instead, you start to tune in:

• “Today is a great day to build strength.”

• “Today is a day for nourishing movement.”

• “Today is about supporting my body, not fighting it.”
  

At Awaken, this is exactly what we want for you — a space where you can listen to your body, feel supported in every phase, and experience movement that enhances both your physical and mental wellbeing.

Some days you’ll feel powerful. Some days you’ll feel slower and softer. Both are valid. Both are normal. And both deserve space.

The Awaken Approach

We’ve built our studio on the idea that women deserve movement that adapts to them — not the other way around. Pilates and yoga blend beautifully throughout the cycle:

• Stronger reformer sessions: ideal during your follicular and ovulatory phases

• Gentle, restorative Pilates: perfect for the menstrual and late luteal phases

• Yoga: grounding, calming and supportive at every stage, especially when your energy dips

Your cycle isn’t a barrier — it’s a rhythm. And when you honour that rhythm, your strength, confidence and wellbeing grow. And of course, everyone is different — so take the time to tune into your own body and keep a simple diary of how you feel day-to-day throughout your cycle to understand your personal patterns.