Millions of women live life by their menstrual cycle – including when they exercise & what they wear, study shows

The Sun

16-06-2025

A NEW tool tells women the best days of the month to exercise, go on a date, get dressed up for a party, and perform well at work.
The calculator has been designed to determine when they will be at their best at different points in their monthly cycle.
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The nifty asset allows women to input their usual length of cycle and date of last period, before plotting out exactly when they should do – or avoid – certain activities.
It has been pulled together by natural period pain supplement monthlies, on the back of its research of 5,000 women in the UK.
The findings show millions of women are governed by their menstrual cycle – and its pattern determines when they exercise, how they feel, and what they wear.
It emerged 51 per cent feel controlled by their periods – to the extent 32 per cent say it dictates when they have sex, and 21 per cent what and when they eat.
Socialising (23 per cent), sleep (20 per cent) and even when to commit to an important meeting (11 per cent) are among the things women plan around their time of the month.
The study, by natural period pain supplement brand monthlies, found 54 per cent of those who experience period pain can pinpoint the exact days in the month it will occur.
While 91 per cent experience ovulation pain mid-month – with discomfort when the ovaries release the egg felt around days 14 and 15 – with 63 per cent feeling this for more than two days.
The average sufferer will also experience bloating for just over seven days of the month.
And just seven per cent of lucky women claim to feel balanced and 'normal' for their entire monthly cycle.
A spokeswoman for monthlies, which is designed to help with menstrual symptoms and cycle throughout the month, said: 'While this research gives us an 'average' picture of what the monthly cycle can look like, we know every single woman has their own unique set of experiences when it comes to having periods.
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'And while pain is more commonly felt the few days of bleeding, and at the mid-month point, this is not the case for everyone.
'Every woman needs to learn about their own period journey and work out what works best for them in terms of how to manage their period pain, as well as when to get the best out of themselves personally, professionally and socially.'
Women generally do try to stay active for the majority of the month, including when they are on their period (44 per cent) and during ovulation (60 per cent).
However, moods can fluctuate throughout the monthly cycle for two thirds of those polled, and six in 10 (59 per cent) often notice differences in their energy levels.
Sleep, hunger, and productivity can also vary across the four week cycle.
However, on the plus side, the research has highlighted that days 11 to 15 in the average woman's monthly cycle is when they feel the best, have the most energy and the most confidence.
These days are also cited as those which are best to take a shopping trip, go out for the evening and feel nicest in clothing.
With day 12 voted the best for having sex for the average person experiencing periods polled via OnePoll.
The spokeswoman for www.withmonthlies.com added: 'Having a period isn't all bad, in fact at times it can be empowering, and depending on what our hormones are doing and when, we can often feel great.
'It's all about learning about your own body, what it responds to, how to look after it and realising that everyone is different.'