How Do Hormones Shape Women’s Health, Fitness, and Wellbeing — and How Can You Get in Sync With Them?
May 12, 2025 • 11 min read
Published on May 12, 2025 | Update on May 20, 2025
May 12, 2025
MD, FACOG; Obstetrician/Gynecologist; NASM-Certified Personal Trainer; Pre- and Postnatal Fitness Specialist; Certified Nutrition Coach and Certified Master Health Coach
Table of Contents
In a world where magazine covers, social media feeds, and advertisements continuously showcase “perfect” female bodies, no wonder many of us feel constant pressure to look a certain way.
From Victoria’s Secret angels in the 2000s to today’s “strong not skinny” Instagram influencers, beauty standards have evolved, but have society’s expectations for women done the same?
In a nutshell: not so much. In this guide on women’s health, we’ll dive deeper into why there’s still so little understanding of women’s health, and what you can do today to get more in sync with our body, embracing a better, more holistic approach to your health.
For centuries, the focus on women’s bodies had nothing to do with health but everything to do with how it looked, creating a vicious circle of stereotypes, objectification, and unhealthy representation of a “healthy” body ideal women should strive for.
However, Renee Englen, the author of Beauty Sick, along with researchers worldwide, realized that “getting closer to the beauty ideal does not guarantee health, and in some cases, may in fact make you less healthy.”
This relentless focus on appearance has ripple effects far beyond our wardrobes or gym memberships: it shapes how we understand our health, influences the wellness advice we receive, and often disconnects us from what our bodies truly need.
We’re bombarded with quick fixes, detox teas, and workout plans promising to “fix” perceived flaws, rarely considering the complex interplay of hormones, mental health, and life circumstances that contribute to our wellbeing.
Fortunately, the narrative is shifting.
More women are reclaiming their health—not for aesthetics but for strength, balance, and self-connection. We’re learning to listen to our bodies rather than fight against them and understand that true wellness comes from working with our natural rhythms, not in spite of them.
When we think about women’s health, the conversation has historically centered around weight loss, calorie counting, and aesthetic goals. How many times have you heard a fitness program marketed with promises of “slimming thighs” or “toning arms”?
While there’s nothing wrong with having appearance-related goals, this narrow focus misses the bigger picture of what health truly means for women.
A significant reason for these misconceptions is the alarming gap in medical research. For decades, women were systematically excluded from clinical trials and biomedical research. In fact, until 1993, when the NIH Revitalization Act mandated the inclusion of women in clinical research, studies routinely used exclusively male subjects (both human and animal) and simply extrapolated the findings to women.
This approach ignored the fundamental biological and hormonal differences that affect everything from drug metabolism to weight loss.
Even today, researchers find out that women are still grossly misrepresented in the clinical studies, creating an even bigger knowledge gap for women from diverse backgrounds.
And the consequences of such a tendency are far-reaching: for example, the complex interactions between hormonal cycles and various aspects of health, from cardiovascular function to mental health to exercise recovery, remain woefully understudied.
Women’s fitness needs, nutritional requirements, and overall wellness strategies should be tailored to hormonal fluctuations, mental wellbeing, and life stage instead of capitalizing on how women should look in certain clothes. For example, a workout that energizes you during one phase of your menstrual cycle might leave you depleted during another, or the nutrition that supports you through perimenopause differs from what your body needed in your twenties.
Women’s bodies aren’t static: they’re dynamic, cyclical, and responsive to countless internal and environmental factors. And to embrace these changes, we should understand how our bodies function.
Hormones are far more than reproductive regulators: they’re powerful chemical messengers that influence virtually every system in our bodies. From energy levels and mood to sleep quality and metabolism, hormones orchestrate a complex symphony that changes throughout life and even within a single month.
Unlike men, whose hormonal patterns tend to follow a 24-hour cycle, women navigate a more complex hormonal landscape.
On the monthly level, women experience dramatic hormonal shifts across approximately 28 days (though cycles can range from 21-35 days). These fluctuations affect women’s:
Throughout their lives, women also move through distinct hormonal phases: from puberty to reproductive years, through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Each transition brings significant hormonal recalibrations that affect virtually every system in our bodies. Even pregnancy and postpartum represent powerful hormonal resets that can permanently alter aspects of our physiology.
That’s why when you experience symptoms like unexplained fatigue, weight changes, anxiety, cravings, or disrupted sleep, these aren’t always signs of poor discipline or lack of motivation. They’re often hormonal signals worth listening to.
By “biohacking,” we mean using science and research-backed ways to adjust your habits and routine to your body’s rhythm and needs, increasing longevity and overall wellbeing.
In its turn, the emerging field of female biohacking takes this hormonal awareness a step further, encouraging women to sync fitness routines, nutrition, work schedules, and social commitments to their natural hormonal rhythms.
Understanding each phase can help you optimize your approach:
During menstruation, both estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest. You might experience lower energy and endurance, making this an ideal time for gentle movement like walking, restorative yoga, or light swimming. Many women find their intuition heightened during this phase, making it valuable for reflection and planning.
As estrogen rises, energy, creativity, and resilience typically increase, making this an ideal time for high-intensity training, trying new workouts, or tackling challenging projects. Your body recovers more efficiently during this phase, and you may notice improved coordination and strength.
Estrogen peaks, testosterone rises briefly, and energy levels are often at their highest. Communication skills, confidence, and libido typically increase. This makes it an excellent time for demanding workouts, social events, or important presentations.
As progesterone rises and eventually both hormones decline, you might notice decreased energy, increased sensitivity, and slower recovery. This is when prioritizing rest, gentle movement, and extra self-care can be most beneficial. Your body burns more calories naturally during this phase, and protein needs often increase.
Understanding that these shifts are normal, not weaknesses to overcome, helps you build sustainable approaches to fitness and wellness. Being “fit” doesn’t mean pushing through fatigue or ignoring your body’s signals; it means honoring your needs as they change and building resilience through this awareness.
Women journey through several distinct hormonal chapters in their lives. Each of these phases brings its own set of challenges, but also unique strengths and opportunities to connect with your body in meaningful ways.
During reproductive years, the menstrual cycle creates a monthly pattern of hormonal fluctuations that affect everything from workout performance to sleep quality. Rather than following the same fitness routine all month, many women find success with cycle syncing:
This approach honors the body’s changing needs rather than forcing it to perform the same way every day. This practice can reduce fatigue, improve results, and create greater body awareness.
Pregnancy transforms a woman’s body in profound ways, with hormonal changes supporting the development of new life. During this time, health goals naturally shift from performance to support and preparation.
Physical activity during pregnancy is more than simply maintaining a certain appearance or “staying fit”: women need it to support their changing bodies, manage physical discomfort, prepare for birth, and maintain mental wellbeing. It’s vital to focus on:
The postpartum period brings some of the most dramatic hormonal shifts a woman will ever experience, yet it’s often the time when women face the most pressure to “bounce back” physically. This disconnect between biological reality and cultural expectation creates unnecessary stress during an already challenging transition.
Hormonal rebalancing after childbirth can take months, so, rather than rushing to resume pre-pregnancy exercise routines or diets, this period calls for:
The emphasis should be on recovery and support, not restriction or intensive training.
Perimenopause and menopause represent another profound hormonal transition, typically beginning in a woman’s 40s and continuing into her 50s. While often portrayed by the media as “the end of vitality,” this transition is simply another phase with its own challenges and opportunities.
During this time, declining estrogen levels can affect metabolism, bone density, muscle mass, and mood, making specific wellness strategies particularly important:
Interestingly, excessive cardio exercise can sometimes increase stress hormones and worsen menopausal symptoms. Many women find that strength training, complemented by walking and mind-body practices, provides better symptom management than endurance-focused routines.
The fitness industry has historically promoted a “no pain, no gain” mentality that can be particularly harmful to women navigating hormonal fluctuations. True fitness has nothing to do with punishing workouts or aesthetic perfectionism, as the focus should be on the intelligent movement that supports your health and enhances your life.
Mindful fitness means approaching movement with awareness, intention, and respect for your body’s current state. This might look like:
This approach creates space for both challenging yourself and nurturing yourself, depending on what your body needs most.
The link between movement and mental health is particularly significant for women. Research consistently shows that physical activity can help manage anxiety, reduce depression risk, improve sleep quality, and enhance cognitive function, all factors that fluctuate with hormonal changes.
Mind-body practices that combine movement with awareness are especially beneficial:
These practices acknowledge that mental health and physical health aren’t separate systems but intricately connected aspects of the same whole person.
Women’s nutritional needs are unique and change throughout our lives and even within their monthly cycles. Rather than following rigid diet plans designed for men or static approaches that ignore hormonal fluctuations, you can adopt adaptive, intentional eating strategies.
Regardless of life stage, certain nutritional priorities support hormonal health:
Many women find that adapting their eating patterns to their menstrual cycles enhances energy, reduces symptoms, and improves overall wellbeing:
Don’t think of it as another rigid rule or limitation, as adjusting your meals according to the hormonal cycle helps you work with your body’s natural rhythms, and improve how you feel and function in the long run.
Throughout this exploration of women’s health, one theme remains constant: awareness creates empowerment. When you understand our bodies, their natural rhythms, changing needs, and incredible resilience, you can make choices that truly support your wellbeing rather than fighting against biology.
Being “fit” as a woman isn’t about a certain weight, appearance, or athletic achievement: it’s about balance, strength, and joy in living. It’s about having the energy for what matters to you, feeling at home in your body, and moving through various life stages with knowledge and self-compassion.
Each phase of life brings its own challenges and superpowers. The hormonal fluctuations that can sometimes feel like obstacles also provide unique strengths, such as creativity, intuition, connection, and resilience that evolve throughout your lives.
We invite you to continue exploring your health journey, starting with awareness and with self-compassion. Understanding your hormones, honoring your body’s wisdom, and adapting your approach as you change creates the foundation for lifelong wellbeing that goes far beyond any aesthetic ideal.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
