This week as I was doing my workout, I was thinking about what one of my most favorite people, Dr. Stephanie Estima, says in her podcasts. She always says, “Ladies, we are not little men”. I love that! She’s referring to how our bodies work, versus how a man’s body works.

Super-Woman or The Flash(ette)

Did you know that based upon where you are in your cycle, you can or cannot do certain things? At certain points of your cycle, your tendons and ligaments are super tight because your body is building, it's preparing to grow a little human. Then there are certain points in your cycle when everything is loose, shedding, and draining. So, depending on where you are, there are different hormones released in your body at different times that allow you to do different things.

I did the exact same workout last week and this week. Last week I felt like I could leap a tall building in a single bound. I felt like Tigger, I had springs in my legs. When I went to the gym, I couldn't lift nearly the weight I normally do when I'm feeling super strong. This is because I was at the point in my cycle where I was able to be explosive, but not super strong.

This week was the opposite. This week I felt like my legs were full of lead. I could not jump, I could not do anything. It was like moving in slow motion. I got plenty of rest, plenty of food, and all that stuff, I just couldn’t jump. However, I was super strong. I easily did all my pushups on my toes and my legs never got tired during squats.

You are a WO-man 

It's important to understand that you are not a little man. Your body does not work like a man's. You must take the time to get to know yourself, how your body functions, and the cycles that you go through. Even if your hormones aren’t on a normal cycle, even if you have had different things going on that make your body “abnormal”, we still go through cycles.

It's important to make sure that you are planning accordingly. Many of us know the PMS stuff. That's what they tell us all about. They tell us that you're going to be grumpy and you're going to crave sugar, but what they don't tell us is the other stuff, the good stuff. They don’t tell us that when you are in that building, growing phase, you need to go and lift the heavy stuff. You need to go and lift heavy, heavy things during that 1-2 week period when your body is prepared for it and wanting to build.

On the other side of the coin, if your body is not prepared to be explosive, and you try to be explosive, you can get injured. Most female athletes blow out their knees when they are in the phase of their cycle that their ligaments and tendons are looser. If that doesn't give you incentive, I don't know what does because blowing out a knee would suck! (On that note, make sure you train your hamstrings twice as much as your quads that'll help you not blow a knee either)

Own it, girl!

You are an amazing being! Your body is incredible. But you need to listen to it, you need to tune into it. So, start paying attention to how you feel. I know there are a lot of apps out there that you can use that are super easy. You can track how you feel, track where you are in your cycle, and track your sleep. While no tracking device is ever 100% accurate, it does give you a baseline. It gives you some information to work with. You can start tracking it and pay attention to how you feel. Start to know the circumstances around when you feel tired, strong, energetic, introverted, etc. Tune in to your body on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

My post-menopausal friends don't worry because even though your body is no longer preparing to create little humans (which you're probably grateful for) you do still have cycles. It's just a different hormonal cycle. There are different things that your body can and should be doing than the younger ladies. You need balance training and strength training. That is what is going to keep you running, jumping, and doing all the fun things for a very, very long time.

You are not a little man. You are a beautiful, strong, constantly changing, woman. You are your own best coach and your own best advocate. The more you know about your body, the better you can use that information to effectively use exercise, food, and rest to optimize your health.

Become your own best friend and get to know her! She’s a pretty awesome chick!! Want more info about how to put yourself at the top of the list, join our Facebook group. It's full of women who are seeking to prioritize self-care without sacrifice. Come join the conversation!