The menstrual month: how to exercise effectively at every stage of your cycle

The physiological changes that take place around a woman's period can affect her training. Experts assess when to take it easy - and when you should go hard

When Evgenia Koroleva started learning about her menstrual cycle and the effect it was having on her, week to week, she says: It blew my mind. Why did I know so little about my body?" A gym owner, Koroleva has since created a training programme based around an individual's cycle, which she says will optimise results.

Hers is not the first to take the menstrual cycle into consideration when it comes to exercise. Interest has grown hugely in recent years, with elite athletes tracking physiological changes and coaches educating themselves about the effects. For the rest of us, there are apps and cycle trackers, but the area is still woefully under-researched (blame male-dominated medicine and sport).