One of the hardest parts about having endometriosis is feeling out of control when it comes to how your body acts and reacts.
Even when you think you're doing everything right.
I can eat perfectly. Move my body consistently. Sleep 8+ hours. Manage my stress. Track my cycle. Take all my supplements.
And sometimes my body will still do something completely unexpected. And it sucks. But part of the healing journey is not letting it get you down.
Today is a perfect example.
i'm on day 21 of my cycle. Progesterone should be high. Energy should be manageable. But i'm feeling incredibly lethargic. Low energy. And i've had some breakthrough bleeding for no apparent reason.
I've been eating incredibly well all month. Moving my body. i've had a relatively stress-free last 30 days.
So why is my body acting this way? What's happening with my hormones? ( Im tracking them with oura and natural cycles) & the data looks good...... so why?
The honest answer: I don't know. And sometimes its better for your mental health to stop trying to work out why ( even though i am such an avid believer in the data) SOMETIMES its more important to just let yourself rest.
And that's the reality of living with endometriosis.
There's No Perfect Formula
If you have endo, you've probably spent years searching for the "perfect formula."
The exact combination of food, supplements, movement, and lifestyle that will make your body behave.
And here's what i've learned after 15 years: that formula doesn't exist.
Everyone is different. What works for one person doesn't work for another. What works for you one month might not work the next.
But we can do our best to support each other. Keep learning. Keep trying. Keep moving forward.
The Reality of Day-to-Day Variability
Yesterday i managed a 45-minute Peloton workout and still hit 10,000 steps.
Today? i'm not so sure i've got it in me.
And that's okay.
This is what living with endo actually looks like.
Some days you feel strong. Some days you feel depleted. Some days your body cooperates. Some days it doesn't.
The goal isn't to force your body to perform at the same level every single day.
The goal is to learn to work with your body instead of against it.
How I Navigate Movement With Endo
I rotate through different styles of movement each month based on how i feel and what my body can manage that day.
Here's what that actually looks like:
Follicular Phase (Days 1-14): When i'm feeling good, i lean into it. sometimes I do more than one workout a day!
- Heavy strength training
- HIIT workouts
- Long walks
- Bouldering
- Core strength and challenging Pilates sessions
- Cycling
- Challenging Peloton classes
- Trampoline tricks and gymnastics
This is when my body has the energy and recovery capacity to handle hard training.
Early Luteal Phase (Days 15-21): I start to notice my energy shifting. Progesterone is rising.
- Strength training (but mindful of recovery) - less repetitions or less load.
- Pilates
- Walking
i'm still moving hard, but i'm paying closer attention to how my body responds.
Late Luteal Phase (Days 22-28): This is when inflammation ramps up. Energy drops. Recovery takes longer.
- Walking
- Stretching
- Lighter weights if i can manage or just body weight if i feel like i can do it.
- Peloton cycling but not pushing myself through the ride.
i'm not pushing. i'm supporting.
Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5): This varies wildly depending on pain levels.
- Sometimes i can walk
- Sometimes i need complete rest
And all of it is okay.
The Moral of the Story
We just have to keep moving forward.
Some days that means a 45-minute workout. Some days that means a 10-minute walk. Some days that means stretching on the floor.
All of it counts.
Movement isn't about punishing your body or forcing it to perform.
It's about supporting your body. Building resilience for the hard days. Reducing inflammation. Managing stress.
When you're feeling good, you can (and should) move. That strength and conditioning builds a foundation that helps you get through the days when you're not feeling good.
But when you're struggling? Rest is movement too.
What I've Learned
After 15 years of living with endo, here's what i know:
1. Flexibility matters more than perfection. The plan you make on Monday might not work by Wednesday. And that's okay.
2. Listen to your body, not your ego. Just because you could do something yesterday doesn't mean you should force it today.
3. Movement should support your body, not break it down. If you're constantly exhausted, inflamed, or in pain after workouts - you're doing too much.
4. Rest is productive. Your body heals when you rest. Inflammation reduces when you rest. Hormones balance when you rest.
5. Community matters. Knowing other people are navigating the same unpredictable reality helps you feel less alone.
The Bottom Line
There's no perfect formula for managing endometriosis.
But we can keep learning. Keep trying. Keep supporting each other.
We can listen to our bodies instead of fighting them.
We can move in ways that heal instead of harm.
We can give ourselves permission to adjust, adapt, and rest when we need to.
Yesterday I felt strong. Today i feel depleted. Today i ate more, still moved my body but was present with myself and checked in often.
Tomorrow? I don't know yet. I will prioritise sleep, I will prioritise hydration and supplements and nutrition and I will rest if i need to.
And that's the reality of Endo.
But we keep going. We keep doing the things that heal us.
One day at a time.
Here for you x
