Exercising when you’re feeling blah may not always be recommended, but in some cases it can serve you well, and be the antidote to having you feel better. Case in point: training around your cycle. The period cycle.
Peaches Pilates is introduced a training schedule, dubbed Flo Week, to match body moods and swings, and the energy high and lows often linked body algorithms in that seven-day window from start to finish of the menstrual cycle.
These tailored workouts are designed for each day of your cycle, and include: Period Pilates, Yin for Flo, Yoga for Flo, and a new posture hero workout.
Peaches Pilates also created workshops, which mirror their belief in taking a holistic approach. These workshops are created alongside My Moon Box founder Nikki Gonda, whose ethos around periods is that the monthly symptoms associated with them are not a necessary or ‘normal’ part of your cycle, instead, they are your body’s way of communicating an underlying hormone imbalance that needs to be addressed, and not with hormone replacement therapy or painkillers.
We chat to Co-Founder Bec Chidiac on this.
Why pilates for period pain? Working out during your cycle is totally up to you – however, low impact exercise like Pilates can actually help relieve symptoms related to your period. Pilates is completely modifiable which allows you to adjust the workout to what suits you. Our workouts are a combination of mind and body which can profoundly impact your mental health. We have designed a 7 Day Flo Guide that represents workouts that will work with you at certain days in your cycles – not against you. We focus on breath, encouraging a relaxed state of mind and deep stretching. Pelvic floor strengthening will help improve blood flow. And of course our signature total body toning workouts, certain to release those yummy endorphins.
How does it improve blood flow – specifically the pelvic floor muscle? During your period you might experience a heavy flow and cramps, that can cause your pelvic floor to tighten. When you strengthen your pelvic floor muscle – hello Pilates – you are encouraging blood flow, which in turn can remove the build-up of old blood.
Cramps – the do’s and don’ts. It all comes down to addressing your dietary and lifestyle factors explains Nikki Gonda in our ‘Managing Pain’ workshop. Nikki is a Period Expert and Founder of My Moon Box. Nikki shares five tips to help reduce pain during your period. She explains that you DO need to eat whole foods that are antiinflammatory and DON’T eat processed foods as they cause inflammation in the body. Vitamin D is your friend so DO get some sunshine. Unfortunately coffee is not your friend so try to reduce or eliminate your caffeine hit. It’s all about getting to the core root of what’s causing your pain and our 7 Day Flow Week Guide is there to help you.
Quick overview on the workshops. It’s time we normalise talk about our periods – and our workshops do just that. Nikki ties into our holistic approach to health and wellness. The workshops uncover topics on how to deal with your periods. You’ll learn how to eat for your cycle, manage pain and discomfort naturally, and how to live ‘in sync’ with your cycle.
There are three Peaches Pilates locations around Sydney, and they’re located at: Bondi, Maroubra, and Cronulla, and all three studios will be offering Flo Week.
For more information, or to book a class or workshop head to peachespilates.com.
