So Here For It - Episode 5
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Amy Mingin: [00:00:00] Welcome to episode five of So Here For It. I am your host, Amy Mingin. Thank you so much for joining me today. Today, I'm talking all things exercise, particularly for women, because I think that there has been, actually, I'm going to go as far to say, most of the scientific studies that have ever been completed on athletes, on supplementation, on food, on diets, most of them have been completed on males.
So, it's really an interesting thing to find more data on females, first and foremost. But second of all, to have both anecdotal evidence. In my own world, having treated women for over 16 years in my women's health clinic, but it's also about what I've trialed on myself. Now, some people might balk at that and I get it because people have been programmed to only want to look at the scientific data, but what if the scientific [00:01:00] data has only ever been done on males and you want to apply it to your female body?
Well, that's where I come in. Now, the thing about exercise is a lot of people are all about going hard or going home. They think that if they're not sweating it out at the gym or not running as hard as they possibly can on their morning run, that it's not effective. And that is just not true. Look, I'm all about efficiency. I love efficient workouts. I love not having to do more than what you absolutely have to. I so get that, particularly in this day and age, right? If you're somebody who is in that phase of life where there is a lot on, where you're working, where you've got kids, where you've got partners and you've got a business, like there is so many moving parts to our lives.
I so get that because that's the point where I'm at. So isn't this great? Wouldn't you rather listen to somebody who has lived experience, embodied experience, [00:02:00] as well as the scientific knowledge, rather than just look at the science that's only ever done on men? This is where I'm coming from today. So you're in for a treat.
I'm going to talk about the stages of our menstrual cycle and how to match it to exercise. Even if you're younger or if you're older, it doesn't really matter. This is going to be applicable no matter who you are, because the thing that really fuels all of this is. Our ability to regulate stress, our ability to adapt to the different forms of exercise, and also our ability to be present with our body and the signals that we are given.
Because I don't know about you, but I am one of those people. That is really, really good at doing what I say I'm going to do, but sometimes that goes to my detriment. And what I mean by this is I say I'm going to do something, but then my body's like, you should, you should rest today. And I'm like, but I said I'd go and do the 10 K run, [00:03:00] but the body saying rest today.
So it's about like, I want to teach you how to be more in tune and kinder to yourself, number one. But also those of you who are a bit like me, where you're like, Oh man, I'm letting myself off the hook today. Or, you know, sometimes we can be a bit like the inner critic to ourselves. I'm going to give you some really great tools and resources in order to overcome that because it's not fun.
It's not fun in either end. Like I get that a lot of people struggle to get motivated. That's not me. I am the opposite. I'm always motivated. And if I'm not motivated, then I can figure out a way to get motivated. But the thing is, I get why people aren't motivated as well, because you've got to have something that drives you.
You've got to have something that you genuinely want to do, or you desire the outcome or result on the other side. Now, what I can tell you for sure is this. When I exercise [00:04:00] about 30 percent of the time, I call it the 33 percent rule. About 33%, so a third of the time, the run will feel amazing. I'll feel amazing.
I'll have endless boundless energy for the entire day and I'll sleep really well at night and I'll eat perfectly. That's about 30 percent of the time. Another 30 percent of the time, I'm just in the motions of it. And I'm like, okay, I said I'd do this. I'm going to get it done. It's a get it done mode. And then the other 33 percent I really don't feel like it.
And I just wonder have you ever tuned into that? Have you ever tuned into those days when you really don't feel like going to the gym? You've got all your stuff with you. It's not because you're not organized. It's because you really don't feel like it. Now, there's a difference here. I want you to pick up on the nuance when I speak into this because yes, sometimes we are tired and we genuinely need to rest.
And those who are self motivated, driven, and like a little bit full on, I get it because you probably struggle [00:05:00] on those days because you're a bit like, Oh, but I said I'd do it. So you probably wear yourself out. But if you're on the other end of the spectrum where you listen to that voice a little too much, and you let yourself off the hook a little too much, then this is going to be really helpful for you.
Maybe 33 percent of the time is the time that feels the most prominent in your head, in your body. You actually feel it the most. Like it could have a bigger density of emotion attached to it. So you think about it this way. You've booked in to do a Pilates class and you've got your stuff with you. You go there after work, you go through the motion. That's a get it done one. And you might be like that the whole week, but you still did it. You went and did Pilates and you feel okay for it. Like you feel better than if you didn't go, right. But on those days where you're like, oh my god, I cannot be bothered. Do you know the difference between the I can't be bothered and the genuine I need to rest?
Because for [00:06:00] me, it seems to come from a different place. One feels like it comes from like this genuine feminine softness, and that's the resting one. And it speaks a lot softer. I would say that that more soft rest version is like, hey, it's time to just relax. You don't have to do that today.
And it's usually after a really busy period or a really stressful period or you've had heaps on. That's usually that voice. Now if you think about it in another way, the other way, where it feels more like an ego thing. Like, Oh my God, I just can't do it. I just can't do it. I cannot bring myself to put those leggings on, or I cannot bring myself to get sweaty today.
Or you start noticing the excuses or you start noticing like this little voice that sounds a little more ego driven, [00:07:00] you know? Like, but I don't want to go anywhere near that one over there like she always does the moves so perfectly and I'm not perfect at this. And dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. You know, that voice. That's the time we really, really need to go. And I don't usually use the word need that often. Need, should, those sorts of words don't really, like they're not really required, you know? But I think, I think this, that if you were to go, oh that's my ego, and you notice the nuance. Or on those other days where you're like, Oh, that's my softness coming through.
Okay. I am going to take the chill version of this. Then it's going to actually give you so much more tuned in information about your body. Now, why would you want this? Here's the thing, women have been taught since the day of time to ignore these things, but we're [00:08:00] actually always in receivership. And we're always, you think about us being a receptor, you think about how it feels when you walk into a place and you're like, Oh, this place feels really good, or, Oh, what's up with the vibe in this place?
You know, when you just click with someone and you've got that feeling. Imagine if you started feeling like that for yourself. Because women are always very, very, very in tune. I would say humans are in tune, but I want you to tune into your feminine side here. You're always really in tune. I like the actual like surprise aspect of this.
And when you're like, Oh yeah, I trusted my intuition on that and that worked out. So I want you to have a think about the times when you hit the snooze button, the times when you have the extra brownie or the extra bit of cake, or, you know, you go and serve yourself seconds on those days. Where is it driven by?
Is it driven from [00:09:00] that soft place where it's like genuine soul lead? Or has it been driven by ego? Again, notice the nuance. Because the nuance happens in the level of softness. And you will only notice that if you're in tune with your body. So this is a practice. Can you allow yourself to be okay with practicing?
And then once you've practiced it, I want you to start tracking it. Cause once you start tracking it, it's so much easier to get results. Now, a lot of people are like, Oh my gosh, I have to write another list in my life. It is just going to be like the end of me, but it's not because this actually helps you grow.
If you don't ever audit what you're doing, how do you ever really know what you're doing? Like when I chat to people and I say, all right, when was the last time you measured your waist? Or when was the last time you measured your food. And some people have never. [00:10:00] And that's where there is so much greatness available to you.
Now that we've covered the motivation side of things, I feel like you're going to have a really good handle on how to get more in tune with where you're at. So that's first and foremost. Second of all, I know I talk about this a fair amount of times, but it's actually really, really important for every woman to know where she's up to in her cycle.
Yes, I'm speaking to the pre menopausal women right now, but also there is a way to track where you're up to as I do believe that all women cycle. And so there is a way for you to, if you're post menopausal and you're listening to this, there is a way for you to track a cycle utilizing the moon. And I can talk about that.
It'll either be in this episode or I might just do like menopause in its very own episode. So bear with me on that one. So I'm speaking to the women who are menstruating still, who get a cycle. It doesn't necessarily mean it has to be regular. It doesn't mean [00:11:00] that you have to be symptomatic. What this is, is you being more in tune with who you are and how you feel.
And now we're going to be able to go, all right, so if you're in your winter phase. Now I have a slight, I have a slight change as to where they regularly teach this as well. So they usually go winter is period time. And then spring is the time once your period finishes and you end up having more energy.
It's a time pre ovulation. And then week three being the summer and then week four being autumn. Now what I generally say, like I notice a lot of women not feeling that great during their autumn phase. And some people don't feel that great during their summer phase either. I want you to start matching your exercise rather than whatever program you're following, rather than whatever this person on TikTok says, rather than whatever [00:12:00] the influencer on Instagram says, like how beautiful are they? Yes, and they're also very genetically blessed, by the way. Usually, they have a trainer who is specifically working with their body type, with the type of nutrition that they're having. There's so much to it for people to maintain, like, that ultra sleek and toned physique. And I'm not saying that that necessarily means they're healthy either.
They might look aesthetically pleasing, but it doesn't necessarily equal health. Let me say that. And I can tell you now that they probably don't feel motivated for the exercise all the time either. So there's that. Now, I want you to have a think about how your energy ebbs and flows. throughout the day, throughout the week, and then throughout the month.
Because they're my three ways of how I help women track their energy and track their cycle. So the thing about daily is you think about the [00:13:00] circadian rhythm, which is our sleep wake cycle. Really, really important to get sunshine in your eyes first thing. I say this a lot, but if you're new to my realm, you might not have heard me say this before.
As soon as the first light is out, go outside and do some deep breathing and get the light in your eyeballs. This helps on so many levels. I don't think we even have enough science to say how much it helps, but you will energetically notice it. Do this before you have any caffeine in the morning, preferably 90 minutes before you do have caffeine.
So like my favorite way to do this is to incorporate it with a walk. So breathe deeply while I'm walking. Get the morning sunshine in my eyes, then come home and eat breakfast. All of this within an hour of waking up. Now this is my ultimate. Doesn't always happen every morning because guess what? Ideal world, real world. Sometimes they're two different things, right? So we all can ebb and flow with what really works for us. But that's my ideal morning. I love a walk first thing in the [00:14:00] morning, getting the fresh air and that sunshine on my face, or at least that first light on my face. And what this does is it sets off a cascade of hormonal reactions inside the brain, inside the nervous system.
And it actually helps wake us up. It gets us into this state of calm clarity. Now in nervous systems, you've probably heard of fight or flight. A lot of women's nervous systems, particularly when they get over 35, go into fight or flight as soon as they wake up. And this is why I often, as I'm saying, so important to eat breakfast. It's so important to wait to have your caffeine in the morning. It's so important to get the deep breathing happening. Like there's so much nervous system regulation that you can get into your day to prevent being in fight or flight. I feel like I need to do a whole podcast episode on the nervous system and I will, so that's coming.
But for the purpose of this, and you matching your exercise to where you are in your cycle, I want you to think [00:15:00] about when you, so I'm a morning person by the way, so that's why I love waking up and doing that. If you're someone who stays up late, you could be somebody who needs to sleep in more in the morning.
So you might not have time to exercise in the morning, and that's totally fine. If you can't exercise in the morning, is there another time throughout your day? Like maybe at lunchtime where you could take a walk in the sunshine, maybe in the afternoon where you can get the, the sunset rays, all of the sun's rays at the different stages of the day are going to have different responses inside our nervous system. So it's actually really important that we get a walk and the fresh air and deep breathing and also the full spectrum of the sun's rays throughout the day. So in an ideal world, again, ideal, not always real world, but in an ideal world, you would walk 30 minutes in the morning at sunrise, 30 minutes in the middle of the day. [00:16:00] Most people probably would want to wear a hat or sun, sunglasses, sunscreen, all of that. Be sun smart, of course. And then at sunset, another 30 minutes. That's ideal for hormone regulation. You want to eat at those similar times as well.
Can you see where I'm going here? Again, ideal world, ideal circumstances, this would happen. Real world doesn't always happen. That's okay. But I want you to at least be aware of it so you can make a better choice on most days. So, that's on your daily basis. Let's have a look at your week. Are you someone who sets their own calendar? And if you are, can you have a look at when you feel most energetic?
When I look at my exercise, I will have a heavy amount of exercise on a weekend, a heavy amount of exercise in the start of the week. So Monday, Tuesday, usually a heavier exercise. Wednesday, Thursday are more rest days for me. And then Friday, Saturday, Sunday are [00:17:00] heavier again. And that's what works for me.
Some people might work out throughout the week and then have rest on weekend. Do what works for you, but I want you to start tracking how you feel, because otherwise, how do you get into a bit of a rhythm with this? So a lot of people think that they fail routines and regimes and they can't commit to things, but actually it's them trying to follow someone else's program.
And I'm here to say like, you can follow your own program, but sometimes you're going to need to try other people's programs in order to figure out what your own is, right? And that's where that level of discernment and learning about the nuance of your body and the signals that are coming through, that's where it's all going to be really helpful for you.
So now let's look at it over the month, the space of the month. Again, go through in an ideal world, if you're getting a regular cycle, then your winter, spring, summer, autumn. Think about those, you can map that [00:18:00] out on a calendar. And again, adjust your calendar accordingly. So, what are you currently doing in your winter phase?
Let's focus on autumn and winter, for example. Generally speaking, once someone's ovulated and they're going more into those, like more slower times of the month, pre menstrually before their bleed, they're not going to feel like smashing out a PB for your 10 kilometer run or lifting super heavy at the gym, or, you know, going to CrossFit and getting another personal record, like you don't, that's a guy thing. I just want to say that. That is such a guy thing. Because guys only have this sleep wake cycle. They don't have such a hectic change throughout the month like what we do. Their emotions aren't as irregular as what ours can be due to the hormones. So I want you to give yourself some space to be able to slow down in those times.
[00:19:00] Those times are the times where you take longer walks. Go out in nature. Breathe more. Go to a yoga class, maybe go to Pilates. Like those styles of exercise are going to be way more beneficial for two weeks of the month. So that, that autumn winter phase. So your premenstrual and during your bleed. After that, yes, of course, go do your weights, go do running.
At your ovulation phase, that's actually when women become superhuman. We can handle so much more on our plate, we love to socialize, we'll dress so much more nicely, naturally, our skin will glow more, libido is heightened. It's actually when the athletes who I work with, that's when they get their personal best.
That's when they get their personal records because they can handle it. But think about if you're trying to push your body at a different stage of the month, through a different style of exercise. It does not make sense. Like go with your natural cycles. So passionate about this [00:20:00] and I'm totally happy to talk into it more, but I want to just like, let's just start with the basics here that you would do like heavier weights and heavier sets and heavier forms of exercise, heavier cardio in that spring summer stage.
And then you're going to do the lighter things in the autumn winter phase. If you can just start with that, it is going to change your life. It is going to change the way that you treat yourself. It is going to change the way the inner critic, that mindset, and it's going to change the way that you motivate yourself because it'll just happen naturally from the internal place like what I was talking about in the beginning.
So my suggestion here is number one, start tracking your cycle if you don't already. Number two, start listening to your body so that you know where you're up to. So then if it is one of those softer voices, that's like, Hey, it's time to rest. Listen. [00:21:00] Cause there's always more.
I want you to start with your exercise and your health, like there's always more that we can do. But see it in this like excited way, see it in this way of like, Oh my gosh, I'm so excited that I get to eat this great food. I'm so excited that I get to do this exercise class or this yoga class or whatever it is, like, can you get excited about it? Because it is actually such a blessing that we get to do it. Like an able bodied person getting to go and do this form of exercise that helps enhance our wellbeing, helps enhance our mental health, helps enhance every single aspect of our life. So we can actually live more to our potential.
So start seeing exercise in more of that gratitude way. It's going to change your world. And then lastly, once you apply this, I would love for you to share in your Instagram stories how it has helped you. Because I will say that this will be key. This will be key for so many of you, those who are hard on themselves, those who are not hard enough on [00:22:00] themselves. It's going to help bring the balance into your life. And most of all, it's going to actually change your hormones and how they're playing out in the background. And I'm here for that. So send me through anything that you've got in your Instagram stories, like tag me in it, or just DM me once you've done it, because this sort of stuff changes lives and I'm here for that.
So thank you so, so much for listening to this episode. I am so passionate about women having access to the information so they can make great choices for themselves. Now, a quick favor. If you loved this, please subscribe to the channel. Please share it with a friend who you know, would love to listen to this. Because if I can help at least a few more women today, then that will be super satisfying. And thank you so much for listening. I will see you on the next episode.
