Every January, millions of people engage in intense workout routines. fitness We will be working on a variety of challenges to improve our individual physical fitness over the coming year.
But the female-led menstrual cycle tracker crew warns that much of the mainstream fitness advice is based on the false premise that the body functions the same every day.
For people with menstrual cycles, hormonal fluctuations can affect energy, mood, sleep, motivation, perceived effort, and recovery. This means that following a generic, one-size-fits-all training plan can actually lead to increased burnout, injury risk, and drop-offs.
In January, Clue partnered with wearable health platform OUURA, Looking for a smarter approach to your fitness plan in 2026: A cycle-aware, data-driven routine built around strength, flexibility, and resilience.
Fitness boom in January
Insights from OURURA prove that January’s fitness culture is real compared to other winter months.
In the UK, OURA saw a 28.2% increase in the percentage of days recorded working out in January 2025 compared to December 2025 (excluding housework, walking and ‘other’).
In the US, it increased by 19.5% during the same period.
Dr. Caris Chambers, chief medical officer at Crewe, said: “Getting regular exercise at the start of the new year is a common way to prioritize your health, but suddenly starting intense fitness training can actually increase your risk of health problems.”
“This is why the ‘get it done’ fitness culture so common in January can be particularly harmful to women and people with menstrual cycles.
“Rather than pushing through fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances, people will benefit greatly in the long term by tailoring their workouts to how their body feels throughout the cycle and using data to understand what’s normal for them.”
data-driven exercises
With wearable fitness tracking becoming mainstream, more women and menstruators are using biometric feedback such as sleep, temperature trends, and recovery to build fitness habits.
This gives you a broader picture of your health, allowing you to spot changes, monitor your health goals, and adapt your routine to suit your body.
Dr. Chris Curry, MD, Clinical Director, Women’s Assets ahURA said: “By combining OURA’s readiness, sleep, and activity data with Clue’s detailed cycle tracking, women can gain a more complete understanding of how hormonal fluctuations impact their overall health and well-being.
“This integration will allow members to observe how the stages of their menstrual cycle align with changes in sleep patterns, energy levels, stress tolerance, and recovery capacity, allowing us to offer more flexible, cycle-aware fitness routines that can adapt to the body’s natural rhythms.”
Daily high-intensity exercise has no long-term effect
January’s fitness culture often equates “more” with “harder,” and many people are drawn to daily HIIT-style workouts that promise quick changes.
But experts warn that this approach is not always sustainable, especially for people with menstrual cycles.
“High-intensity training causes a short-term increase in cortisol, which is normal,” says Yves Lepage, senior reproductive health specialist at Clue.
“However, repeated intense sessions without adequate recovery can lead to fatigue, disrupted sleep, and burnout.
Instead, the evidence supports balance, sticking to a strength training routine at least twice a week, using moderately high intensities, and being flexible depending on how you feel. ”
In contrast, excessive aerobic or high-intensity training without adequate recovery can negatively impact the body’s cortisol patterns.
Data from Clue users shows that walking (32 percent), rest days (24 percent), and strength training (16 percent) are the most commonly tracked activities, highlighting that consistent daily movements, rather than extreme routines, form the basis of how most people actually exercise.
According to Clue, this is an important note to keep in mind when it comes to fitness activities in January. This means you don’t have to go to extremes to be effective.
Cycle awareness does not imply strict “cycle synchronization”
Although cycle-synced workouts have been gaining a lot of attention recently, Clue experts highlight the lack of scientific evidence to support this effectiveness as a one-size-fits-all approach.
Instead, a more effective approach is a cycle-aware, symptom-based approach that tracks your menstrual cycle to understand your personal patterns over time and adjusts your training intensity based on how your body feels day-to-day.
“Cycle awareness is not about following strict rules, it’s about self-awareness,” Yves Lepage said.
“Some people may notice changes in energy, mood, and effort throughout their cycle. Some people may feel more energetic and energetic during the late follicular phase (the days leading up to ovulation), while others may feel more fatigued during the luteal phase (after ovulation and before the next period), but others may not notice much of a difference.
Rather than asking, “What should I do at this stage?”, a better question is, “How do I usually feel here?” Please adjust accordingly. ”
Cue health experts recommend an approach to fitness that prioritizes long-term health over short-term strength.
Rather than aiming for perfection, Clue’s experts recommend building a routine based on four evidence-based principles designed to support strength, recovery, and consistency.
- Basic strength training – Strength training, which supports long-term muscle, metabolic, and bone health, is one of the most effective ways to increase recovery and reduce injury risk. It also provides flexibility. You can adjust the intensity and resistance based on symptoms, fatigue, or days you just aren’t ready.
- Appropriate collection (non-negotiable) – Recovery is when your body adapts and improves. Without enough rest days, people are more likely to experience persistent fatigue, disrupted sleep, decreased motivation, or injury, all of which increase drop-off and burnout.
- Flexible intensity aerobic training, instead of a culture of “overdoing it” Sustainable fitness is built around adapting your workouts to real-world signals. On days when your energy is low or your symptoms are severe, you can change your routine from HIIT to a lower-impact exercise like cycling or shorten the duration without “screwing up” your plan. The most important thing is to move your body regularly most days, even if you just go for a walk.
- Listen to your body’s signals (including changes in your cycle) – Persistent fatigue, pain, interrupted sleep, mental fatigue, and even changes in your menstrual cycle, such as irregular, missed, or lighter periods, can all be signs that your body is under too much stress. Cue experts stress that the menstrual cycle is an important sign, and that major changes could mean it’s time to scale back and prioritize recovery.
Combining Clue’s cycle insights with OURURA’s biometric tracking helps people better understand how the stages of their menstrual cycle align with changes in energy, mood, and recovery, supporting sustainable training routines year-round.
heading to www.helloclue.com To learn more, download the app and learn more about Oura Ring and Oura health insights. www.ouraring.com
