How Hormones Impact Everything

Written by: Aavia!

Did you know your hormone cycle impacts more than just your period and fertility? It affects everything from your mood and energy to sleep, productivity, skin, and appetite! Yet, the majority of the 4 billion people with ovaries in the world don’t have the knowledge or tools to optimize their lives based on their hormone health.

That’s why we’re partnering with Aavia, a daily hormone health app, to help you understand your cycle and reduce symptoms. Aavia gives you the power to track your hormone health, providing you with personalized predictions, recommendations, and insights to help you feel your best every day.

Why Understanding Your Cycle Matters

For decades, women of childbearing age were left out of clinical studies, meaning there’s a lot we’re still learning about how hormones affect our daily lives. For example, studies originally suggested that everyone needs 8 hours of sleep, but it turns out people with ovaries often need closer to 10 hours to function at their best.

The good news? When we use science to understand our hormone cycles, we can dramatically improve how we feel and perform. Even the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team optimized their training around their hormone cycles to win the World Cup!

The Ovarian Hormone Cycle: More Than Just Your Period

Many people think the ovarian hormone cycle is only about periods and ovulation, but it’s so much more than that! Two key hormones—estrogen and progesterone—fluctuate throughout your cycle, affecting everything from your energy levels and mood to your skin and memory. These two fluctuating hormones create the two different phases of our cycle: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. 

Here’s a video on a quick overview of the cycle. 

The Follicular Phase

Estrogen is responsible for boosting your mood, energy, and that glowing skin everyone loves during the first half of your cycle, your follicular phase. It begins on day 1 of your period and goes until ovulation.

This is when you’ll feel your best—ready to tackle high-intensity workouts, check things off your to-do list, and enjoy social activities. It’s the perfect time to schedule important tasks and enjoy the boost of productivity that comes with rising estrogen levels.

The Luteal Phase

After ovulation, your body shifts into the luteal phase, where progesterone takes over. Progesterone brings a sense of calm, improves memory, and helps you wind down. However, as it drops toward the end of your cycle, you might experience PMS symptoms like cramping, bloating, or mood swings.

This phase is all about rest. Prioritize low-impact movement, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself permission to relax. By syncing your activities to your cycle, you can make the most of your body’s natural rhythm.

Tracking Your Cycle and Optimizing Your Health

When you understand your hormone cycle, you can tailor your workouts, nutrition, and even social events to match how you’re feeling. Here are a few simple tips:

• In the follicular phase: Take advantage of higher energy levels and focus power to knock out important tasks, intense workouts, and social events.

• In the luteal phase: Prioritize rest, gentle movement, and getting extra sleep when needed to combat fatigue and PMS symptoms. Learn more on how to feel your best during this phase here. 

By tracking your symptoms, you can anticipate how your body will feel, plan ahead, and make adjustments that leave you feeling more in control of your life.

More tools to navigate your Hormonal & Sexual Health:

Did you know Sheridan students have access to free menstrual products, pap smears, pregnancy tests and more? Explore all the free products and services that are available to you:

This blog was brought to you by Aavia.

"Aavia is the daily app that helps you track & understand how your hormones impact your life. Built for people with ovaries, by people with ovaries.”

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