Most fitness experts agree that women can work out seven days a week without negative repercussions on the body. Even when your body feels down in the dumps, as long as your body is not running a fever, you can safely work out, though lower energy levels may reduce intensity and duration of the work out. However, for women who want to know when to work out during their period for best results, there could be a surprising answer.

Hormonal Changes in the Female Body

In the middle of your menstrual cycle, the body is in the midst of preparing for ovulation and potential fertilization and implantation. Hormone levels peak during ovulation and all energies are focused on the possibility that fertilization and pregnancy will result. Elevated hormones switch energy production from a carbohydrate to fat-burning focus, leaving you with less energy than any other time of the month. Body temperature is also slightly higher and you may have trouble breaking a sweat, thanks to elevated progesterone levels. These changes, as a whole, make it difficult to exercise though exercise is not prohibited during the time immediately before, during and immediately after ovulation.

When your menstrual period begins, the body literally sheds all chances of conception along with elevated hormone levels. Hormone levels drop dramatically, leaving you with the lowest reproductive hormone levels of the month and the optimum timing for intense exercise.

For women who want to know when to work out during your cycle, the answer is during your period. With estrogen and progesterone out of the way, your body will recover from exercise more quickly. Lower hormone levels increases your ability to handle pain and the endorphins released during intense exercise help you feel better, improve mood and may help you exercise longer and harder.

Exercise is not a time-sensitive activity for non-pregnant women. From a purely physical and hormonal perspective, you know when to work out during your cycle when your period starts, but that should not mean you only workout during your period. Working out every day and including strength training, intense interval training and various forms of exercise is ideal at any time of the month. Daily exercise may help improve overall health, aid in weight management and prepare the body for the stresses of pregnancy if you are trying to conceive.