How can you sync your fitness routines with your menstrual cycle? And why should you? In this episode, exercise physiology expert Jess Freemas discusses the connection between periods, workouts, and women’s hormonal phases. She is from Orreco, a bio-analytics platform that helps athletes. At Orreco, Jess helped pioneer the FitrWoman app, which empowers female athletes and exercise enthusiasts to understand their bodies and optimize their performance. 

Jess explains the challenges, stigmas, and misconceptions surrounding menstruation, working out, and how tracking your menstrual cycle can equip you to adapt your exercise habits for improved health. You’ll learn strategies to manage period symptoms, the science behind exercising according to menstrual cycle phases, and ways to level up your fitness for life.

Jess is a Female Athlete Specialist at Orreco. Based in the U.S., Dr. Freemas is advancing female athlete research and delivering high-impact consultation to various athletes and teams across the NWSL, WNBA, NCAA, and Team USA. Jess holds a Master's degree in Exercise Physiology and a Ph.D. in Human Performance from Indiana University and has published work detailing the effects of menstrual cycle hormone fluctuations on female physiology and performance.

Discussed in this episode:

• Research on the menstrual cycle and working out
• Women’s hormones and their impact on energy, mood, and nutritional needs 
• What happens when women stop working out because of their period?
• How women can follow a menstrual cycle workout plan to improve health and performance 
• How the FitrWoman app helps women align their workouts and athletic goals with their menstrual cycles
• Ways to improve menstrual education and awareness for overall health

“We want the menstrual cycle not just to be seen as a burden, but that it means you might feel better at certain times. You should log it and notice when you're feeling good and when you might be feeling worse. It's a tool to really figure out your own individual patterns so that you can optimize your health that way.” — Jess Freemas

Related to this episode:

• Related episode: Why Women Should Sweat in Sync With Their Cycle | Jenni Hulburt

• Resources and episodes on Nutrition & Exercise

   
• Jess on LinkedIn: Jess Freemas
• Orreco Website: www.orreco.com 
• FitrWoman App: www.fitrwoman.com 
• Orreco Social Media: @orreco1
• FitrWoman Social Media: @fitrwoman
• Recommended Books: View the Bookshop here

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**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

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