In my clinic, I regularly see the negative results that happen to women when they overtrain. While it’s true that many of us think that more is better, this can ultimately lead to burnout and more problems down the road.

Jessica Drummond MPT, CCN, CHC, the Founder and CEO of the Integrative Women's Health Institute, is passionate about caring for and empowering women who struggle with women’s and pelvic health conditions. She is equally passionate about educating and supporting clinicians in confidently and safely using integrative tools to transform women's and pelvic healthcare.

Today, Jessica and I talk about how we can optimize our monthly hormonal cycles to make workouts more efficient and less dangerous. This involves really understanding what is going on with our hormones throughout the month and structuring your workout to maximize its benefits while reducing the risk of injury.

We discuss what overtraining looks like for women and how you can recognize its red flags. Being attuned to what your body is telling you, but also seeking professional guidance is crucial to staying fit without causing negative health effects. With that in mind, Jessica tells us how to train well, without pushing it too far.

Jessica has also worked extensively on studying endometriosis. She explains just what this condition is and its impacts. While it is common, it’s not normal. We talk about ways to treat endometriosis and why it’s important to do so.

Do you change your workout based on your monthly cycle? Has that helped you to reduce injury and maximize the benefits? Let us know in the comments on the episode page.

In this episode

• The female-specific risks that come from overtraining
•  Understanding and optimizing your monthly cycle for the most healthy training results
• Addressing the mental health implications of overtraining
• The numerous warning signs that you’re overtraining
• The effects of endometriosis and new ways to treat it
• Understanding pelvic floor health and how problems with it can present
• Ways to literally nourish and feed resilience

 

Quotes

“For women, if you think of the month as a time to optimize your periodization of you’re training for performance, it’s really valuable because you’re not only protecting and nourishing your hormones and muscle, but you’re improving your longevity.” [2:42]

“We have to really emphasize rest and nourishment. Outsleep your competition, outeat your competition, just for recovery’s sake.”  [8:56]

“It not actually normal to have very bad cramps. It’s normal to have mild cramps maybe a day or two with a little fatigue. That’s it. You shouldn’t be sidelined by your period.” [23:48]

“Don’t be afraid to expose anything that you are worried is wrong. If anything is going on in your body, training, or health, unearthing it and optimizing women’s health and performance is part of a strong conversation.” [42:02]

  Links

Find Dr. Jessica Drummond at the Integrative Women's Health Institute

Follow Jessica on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Linkedin | YouTube

Outsmart Endo

 

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

Follow Emily & Urban Wellness on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube