Your menstrual cycle isn’t just about that one dreaded week—it’s a whole monthly journey with different phases, each bringing its own mood, energy levels, and cravings (yes, that sudden need for chocolate has science behind it).
Understanding these phases can help you sync your lifestyle—whether it’s workouts, food choices, or self-care—to what your body actually needs. Because let’s be honest, sometimes it feels like our hormones are running the show anyway.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that the menstrual cycle is a sequence of events in the body that prepares for pregnancy each month. It lasts from the first day of the menstrual period until the first day of the next. It is stated that a normal cycle is 28 days long, with days between periods ranging from 21 to 35 days. A normal period lasts between three and seven days, with some having a three-day period.
The above source continues to explain that the menstrual cycle is triggered by the rise and fall of hormones. It includes the menses phase, which begins on the first day of menstruation and lasts for three to five days. The follicular phase, which is stated to begin on the day of menstruation and ends at ovulation, involves the growth of the uterus lining and follicles in the ovaries.
‘This phase occurs roughly at about day 14 in a 28-day menstrual cycle. A sudden increase in another hormone — luteinising hormone (LH) — causes your ovary to release its egg. This event is ovulation.” The luteal phase, from day 15 to 28, involves the egg travelling through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, the clinic adds.
Healthline explains the different symptoms that come with each phase, stating that during your menstruation phase, you might experience cramps, tender breasts, bloating, mood swings, irritability, headaches, tiredness, and lower back pain. Symptoms of ovulation are said to include a slight rise in basal body temperature, egg-white-like discharge and sometimes a sharp pain at the side of your lower abdomen.
During the luteal phase, the above source claims that individuals may experience symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including bloating, breast swelling, mood changes, headache, weight gain, sexual desire changes, food cravings, and sleeping trouble.
Also see: Drinks to regulate irregular periods
