The Cycles of Golf
*Let’s Talk PERIODS*
It’s golf day! You jump out of bed with excitement, grab a cup of coffee, and place yourself on the couch and scroll through the gram - you know your modern day newspaper - and then...you feel it. Knock...knock...it’s your period. Fabulous. Wonderful. Perfect timing. So much for wanting to wear your cute new skirt today, you now have to wear pants with pockets to keep a spare tampon or pad on you. The glamorous life of a woman that not a lot of people talk about.
You remind yourself that medical professionals do say that remaining active during your period is supposed to relieve cramps...right? Either way you are not missing out on today's rounds. *huge sigh and slight eye roll at mother nature right about now*
While we’re not doctors and we are not offering any medical advice, we’re simply sharing tips and tricks that help keep us on track and offer some relief during the duration of your period. And most importantly how to use our cycle to help improve our game.
We spend all our time trying to alleviate the symptoms of our cycles, but have we been taking our hormone spikes for granted – is there a way to use them to our advantage instead?
Menstrual phase
Normally lasting up to seven days, your period is the start of your cycle and occurs during the follicular phase. With oestrogen and progesterone levels both low, and the fact that you’re losing blood, it’s normal to feel tired during this phase of your cycle.
Now’s the time to take it easy – nine holes in the morning, an hour of short game practice or gentle Pilates are all great for this point of your cycle.
Follicular phase
After your period, oestrogen levels start to rise, so you’ll have more energy again. Oestrogen is also thought to have a positive effect on your mood, so you may have more motivation to play, practice or train during this phase of your cycle.
Ovulation phase
Oestrogen and progesterone are at their peak here, so this is when you’ll feel most active and energetic. This is the best time to schedule that knockout match or get on the range and do some serious practice.
Now could also be the best time to work on your strength and fitness. Get yourself in the gym and get that strength workout, you won’t regret it.
Luteal phase
Oestrogen levels fall quickly after ovulation, but with a rise in progesterone levels, your muscles adapt and recover better and fatigue less. That makes it a great time to play more golf and keep pushing your workouts.
It may not be the best time to make any dramatic swing changes though; progesterone can impact the way your brain picks up new skills, so you may find changing your technique here is more difficult. At this point in your cycle, your basal body temperature increases. If you’re playing golf on a hot day, you may find that you struggle in the heat more than you usually do, so take plenty of water and dress to stay cool.
We all know that all women are superheroes. So we challenge you to channel your inner superwoman and use your cycle to your advantage vs letting it get the best of you. Women can all benefit from tracking their cycles and understanding their bodies better, check out this article for the best tracking apps to try this year. Here at Draw & Fade we support women empowering women...we will continue to educate and support women with our research, content, and products. Thanks for supporting us!! We appreciate you!!