Do you really need to cycle sync everything??
Cycle syncing is the latest wellness obsession—hailed as the secret to unlocking your full potential by aligning your life with your menstrual cycle. Everywhere I look, I see influencers claiming it changed their lives, apps selling pricey tracking tools, and coaches promising hormone harmony if you just follow their plan. I bought into it. I tracked, I planned, I adjusted my workouts and meals and seeds—and honestly? It made my life … kinda worse.
Not only is the science behind it flimsy at best, but trying to micromanage my life around a constantly changing cycle left me more anxious, exhausted, and frustrated than ever. In this article, I’m breaking down for you why cycle syncing isn’t the miracle it’s made out to be—and why you might want to think twice before falling for the hype.
When winter, spring and autumn are overused… Or - How it started
About a decade ago, I picked up Period Power by Maisie Hill—a book that felt nothing short of revolutionary at the time. In it, she introduced a poetic new way to think about our menstrual cycle, mapping each phase to a season:
Bleeding as winter
Follicular phase as spring
Ovulation as summer
Luteal phase as autumn
And honestly? It blew my mind.
It was intuitive, gentle, and finally made sense. I loved it. I embraced it. I even shared it with my clients. It offered a refreshing, cyclical lens on life—one that acknowledged we are not linear beings. Unlike men, our energy, mood, and focus ebb and flow. And we should adapt to that.
According to this framework, we bloom outward in our spring and summer phases, and turn inward in autumn and winter. It felt so natural. So genius.
But fast-forward ten years, and now I hear things like:
“I’m in my autumn, I’m staying home.”
“I’m wintering—just crying in bed.”
“But I’m ovulating, I should be feeling amazing!”
“I don’t get it—I’m in my spring, but I’m not springing.”
Sigh. Where do I even begin?
We’ve somehow gone from “live in sync with your cycle” (which, to be clear, I still fully support if it improves your life) to rigid rules about how we should be feeling and acting at any given time of the month.
Let me be clear: this method was originally offered as a soft tool—a way to better understand our bodies and potentially ease symptoms like fatigue, cramps, and PMS. For many women, it was life-changing. They found relief, empowerment, and even pride in tuning into their cycles. I’m deeply grateful for that.
But of course, the wellness industry caught wind and quickly monetized it: products, workout plans, apps, cycle-syncing spreadsheets... you name it.
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to live according to your cycle 100% of the time. You don’t need to feel guilty for going to work while bleeding, or for feeling low during ovulation. It doesn’t make you less feminine. It doesn’t mean you’re “out of sync.”
Once again, we’ve taken something that was meant to free us—and turned it into another set of rules to follow. Another way to make women’s lives more controlled, constrained, and predictable.
Seeds, nutrition and workouts according to your cycle - do you really need it?
Do we really need to sync every little aspect of our lives, from a seed to weight lifting? My answer (please don’t kill me) is, No.
Let me break it down for you by topic, but let’s start from the fact that there is NO (or very little and shaky) scientific evidence that this is in fact necessary.
seed cycling
Seed cycling is a method that involves consuming different types of seeds during specific phases of the menstrual cycle to potentially support hormonal balance: flax seeds & pumpkin seeds in follicular & ovulatory phase, and sunflower and sesame in luteal phase until bleeding starts. This is a popular method that caught a lot of attention by many companies and coaches. My experience as a coach - you get the same benefit from consuming these seeds throughout all your cycle.
Is it legit?
It’s a great way to get essential nutrients that support healthy hormones.
Is it necessary?
Great news! You will also benefit from it if you consume these intuitively and interchangeably throughout the cycle.
Workouts syncing
This is a method that recommends certain workouts for specific phases. Here’s an example:
Day 1-7 (menstruation) Gentle workouts like soft yoga or walking
Day 7-14 (follicular) Strength training, high-intensity workouts, and activities that build muscle and improve endurance.
Day 14-16 (Ovulation) High-intensity workouts, strength training, and activities that challenge you physically
Day 18- 28 (Luteal) Lighter, moderate-intensity workouts like swimming, cycling, or yoga.
Is it legit?
It’s a great way to exercise and aligning it to your body and not against it. If someone has severe menstrual symptoms, that can be a tool to eliminate them. What I also like about it, is that it puts an emphasis on daily movement, even if it’s not an intense training, it is still exercise and it can be as powerful.
Is it necessary?
There is no real evidence around changing your workouts - if anything, having breaks in between session will probably likely not support muscle growth. My recommendation is to simply listen to your body - if you’re very tired, not feeling motivated at all to hit the gym for weight lifting, then go for a walk outside. The emphasis should be on daily movement. Do you feel amazing after a run on your period, or lifting weights during PMS? Great, it’s your body, you’re okay.
Nutrient syncing
Cycle syncing with nutrients, similar to seed cycling, is the practice of adjusting your diet throughout the menstrual cycle to support hormonal changes—like eating more iron-rich foods during menstruation or focusing on anti-inflammatory foods in the luteal phase.
This also expands to specific supplements for specific cycle phase.
Is it legit?
In general, it’s a beautiful way to be mindful about your cycle. While some women may feel benefits from being more mindful of how they eat and supplement during different phases, the science behind strict nutrient syncing is limited.
Is it necessary?
A balanced, consistent nutrition generally supports hormonal health just as well—without the added stress of tracking every phase. This goes specifically for supplementing for your phase - there is no need to purchase expensive kits. Instead? Supplement wisely for hormone balance and target your specific deficiencies and symptoms.
Fasting
Fasting, especially intermittent fasting, has become another trendy practice being adapted for the menstrual cycle. The idea is to fast during certain phases (like the follicular phase) and avoid it during others (like the luteal or menstrual phase), with the claim that it supports hormonal balance and improves energy, metabolism, and even fertility.
Is it legit?
There is some research around fasting and hormonal response—but most of it is done on men or postmenopausal women. For menstruating women, the data is still limited and inconclusive. Some women feel great when fasting, while others feel dizzy, anxious, or exhausted. So again—it’s less about syncing perfectly with your cycle and more about listening to how your body responds.
Is it necessary?
Absolutely not. Fasting is a personal choice, not a requirement for hormonal health. If you enjoy it, and it works for your lifestyle, great. But syncing your fasting windows to your menstrual phases? There’s no solid evidence that this adds any significant benefit. You don’t need to time your hunger to your hormones. Eat in a way that feels supportive, not performative. In my experience, most of my clients start to feel better when they STOP intermittent fasting.
I’m confused - so now, what?
I believe we can feel great in all our menstrual cycle (and also when we lose it!). I dedicate my work to helping women come back to balance in order for them to do exactly so. And we have many powerful tools from nature that do that.
At the end of the day, syncing every aspect of your life to your menstrual cycle isn’t a necessity—it’s an option. If these tools genuinely help you feel more connected to your body, reduce symptoms, or bring more intention to your routine, that’s wonderful.
But let’s not confuse optional tools with more rules. Women don’t need to obsess over seeds, shift their workouts weekly, or spend money on phase-specific supplements to be in tune with their cycle.
You are allowed to just live—with flexibility, intuition, and trust in your own body. Sync when it helps. Skip it when it doesn’t. You’re not broken, behind, or out of alignment—you’re human. And that’s more than enough.
