As a former ER nurse, I know how important it is to stick with the stuff that WORKS. I help women become stronger through sustainable + effective strategies that feel like coming home. I've made menstrual cycle-informed fitness the new natural way for women to train, helping thousands embrace their strength through my app. Welcome! Love, your friendly neighborhood fitness nurse.
CKB Weekly: Your Brain on...the Menstrual Cycle
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Woohoo, it's Friday again! Which means I get to pop into your inbox and hopefully make you smile! β How was your Halloween? Compared to our old neighborhood in Tennessee (who knew how to turn UP), trick-or-treating was pretty mild this year, but the kiddos still had a blast. And I certainly wasn't complaining about the 75-degree weather in my Eevee costume. β We took a trip to the beautiful Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix last weekend. Kellan decided that he'd like to plant something in the kids' garden, which means that I planted something in the kids' garden. Really hope my swiss chard does well. And speaking of plants, my friend just informed me that I will be receiving a 3-foot tall lemon tree via mail on Monday. Best housewarming gift ever! You know what they say about life giving you lemons... β β Alright, enough chit-chat. What's going on in the world of women's health + fitness? Your Cycle is SUPPOSED to Make You Feel Different!There was so much conversation about cyclical behavior last week after my post on brain changes throughout the cycle, but a few comments caught my eye: it seems that doctors are still telling women that they should not feel different throughout the month, or that there is simply no basis for it. β I'm not sure what's worse: that these docs don't believe women or that they simply don't know how the menstrual cycle works. One of the ways evolution ensures we survive as a species is to encourage certain behaviors based on whether or not we're fertile. β For example, how would the species benefit if women did not feel compelled to leave their dwellings when they're ovulating? Or if they had no libido whatsoever? If that were the case, then humans would probably not rule this planet right now. β To ensure that we take advantage of a readily available egg, our hormones ALSO encourage confidence, sociability, a libido, faster brain processing times, and TONS of other things that increase the chances of that egg getting fertilized. β On the flip side, when progesterone is highest in the luteal phase (when the egg is no longer available or perhaps already in cahoots with sperm), our behaviors shift to reflect more of a nurturing mode - which, again, benefits the specific purpose of that menstrual phase. Naturally, I made a reel to explain this more: β β β Menstrual Phase Affects...Concussion Recovery?Yep, you read that correctly. Not only does sustaining a concussion affect your menstrual cycle (as I explain here), but the phase you were in when you sustained the injury can predict recovery times, as well. β When female athletes suffer a mild head injury in their follicular phase, they seem to score better on their recovery assessments. But there was another interesting pilot study that found that if the athlete was in her luteal phase during the injury, she reported less stress. This might be due to the protective nature of progesterone, but there can also be a "progesterone rebound" effect when it drops for menstruation - leading to worse symptoms. β As conflicting as the research is, this is super important for coaches and providers to be aware of. Unsurprisingly, it has been proposed that female athletes may be better off taking hormonal birth control to help protect against more serious concussion symptoms. Can you imagine if scientists discovered that testosterone played a role in hindering injury recovery in men, and the proposed answer was just to...cut off men's hormones entirely? β ...yeah. New Podcast Episode!β22. Elite Athletes vs Healthy Humansβ This week, we're taking a look at some of the recent events in gymnastics and Crossfit, and how important it is to differentiate elite athletes from healthy humans. They are not one in the same, and confusing the two can have serious consequences for women. There's a reason these events are televised. It's a spectacle because these amazing athletes are the exception, not the rule. Enjoy!
New on the KBM App...A few new workouts have been dropped inside the KBM Membership, and I'm so happy you're loving them! My favorite new session is the Lying Down workout (the third in this series) for the Ease Vault, which is perfect for when you're in your cycle straddler phase or are otherwise having a low energy day. β
That's all for this week, love! See you next time! π β β P.S. Needing some more structure when it comes to your workouts and your health goals? Stay tuned, because something is brewing... β |
Courtney Babilya | Women's Fitness Nurse
As a former ER nurse, I know how important it is to stick with the stuff that WORKS. I help women become stronger through sustainable + effective strategies that feel like coming home. I've made menstrual cycle-informed fitness the new natural way for women to train, helping thousands embrace their strength through my app. Welcome! Love, your friendly neighborhood fitness nurse.
Greetings from Arizona, fam! π΅ Something MUST be going on with the planets, because the wind of change has been strong over here. Or maybe it's just the 117-degree wind blowing in my face like a blowtorch. Anyway. After years of hosting all of my personal content and KBM content on @courtneykeepingbalance, the time has finally come: KBM is getting her very own Instagram page. She's all grown up! π₯Ή This is really exciting for a lot of reasons: 1οΈβ£ My @courtneykeepingbalance page is getting a...
I CANβT BELIEVE IT! Weβve been serving up sustainable fitness for women that DELIVERS on results for a whole year! Have you tried KBM yet?! Downloaded the app but haven't started yet! Been using and LOVE! Not yet but I'm interested... In the past 12 months, KBMers have been sharing that they: Have never been more consistent with exercise in their LIFE Are experiencing symptom-free cycles Are hitting new PRs and nailing new skills Finally stopped being so hard on themselves and started to...
I'm about to give you a little insider knowledge: Cycle syncing may not be for you. Yep, let me explain. When it comes to exercise, the term "cycle syncing" has become defined as doing different types of fitness throughout the cycle, such as strength training in the follicular phase, boxing or HIIT during the ovulatory phase, pilates in the luteal phase, and yoga in the menstrual phase. This approach is fabulous if you want to move your body more, work on your general fitness and wellness,...