Annie Conklin Wellness (2026)

07/05/2022

If this weekend is hard for you for whatever reason, please take a moment to step away from the social media celebrations to honor all that you are, all those who love you, and all that this world is because you are here. ❤️
Your legacy is not of those who came before you or of those that may or may not come after - it is simply you living, breathing, surviving, smiling. I love you ❤️

29/10/2021

"Your hormones are doing exactly what they are supposed to do - ADAPT to their environment"⠀ellymichelle
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My cortisol wasn't out of whack. My life was.⠀
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I have chronic issues with cortisol (stress hormone), mostly because I overlook stress in my life as something my body needs to process and recover from. We just have ONE stress bucket & ALL stress fills it up. So whether you are filling it with fun stress like workouts, & caffeine or hard stress like your job - your bucket can only hold so much. Stress of any sort raises your cortisol, and if you don't have breaks from stress, it will stay raised and show up in your body as stubborn weight, trouble sleeping, depression, problems with your cycle, and so much more.⠀
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I have been using test strips for just over a month. The first one I took showed high cortisol, I suspected that & it's the reason I tried the strips. So I shifted into addressing my environment to care for my body. ⠀
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☑️Walking as my only workout for about 3 weeks. ⠀
☑️Focused on eating enough protein daily & eating enough calories in general. Calories are fuel for your body, don't be scared of them. ⠀
☑️Decreased caffeine. I switched to half caff for my coffee & this was the one thing that made a difference right away. Caffeine stresses your adrenals - sorry but it's true.⠀
☑️Made sleep a priority. I had some external issues with getting a full nights sleep (caring for my old pup), so I started squeezing naps in where I could. ⠀
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Today was the first day my cortisol levels were normal since I tested them 5 weeks ago. That's actually a pretty quick turnaround in the scheme of things - it can take months depending on how much you need to lower.⠀
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So now that I'm in a good zone, what do I do? Everything I did for the past 5 weeks. This is what my body needs and it's important to stay here. My fave reminds me "you do you" every time I pass judgement on myself for taking things slow. Reshape your mindset to live from a place of nourishment, not from a place of bigger, better, faster, stronger. Nourish your ONE body. ⠀
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And friends, YOU DO YOU. You're the only one who can 💞

02/02/2021

It’s a snow day here so I thought I’d share some good books to dig into if you’re staying cozy too! ⠀
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These are all about different aspects of women’s wellness, but all from great voices in the community. If you’re looking for anything specific to read, just ask...I probably have a recommendation 😂
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❄️☃️💙

14/06/2020

There have been many more important conversations to be having lately...I’ve taken a break to allow space for more important voices🖤⠀
⠀..but in case you were curious, I have my thoughts about TempDrop and Ava Bracelet posted to my blog. ⠀
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You may be disappointed but not surprised to hear me say…it depends. ⠀
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I wore both the Ava Bracelet and TempDrop for a cycle, and I will for the next few too, just to get a comparison of the data.⠀
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In my personal opinion as someone who is using BBT to confirm ovulation and avoid conception….I prefer to chart my own temperatures. While both the Ava Bracelet and TempDrop confirmed ovulation on the same day, I wasn’t confident trusting Ava’s prediction until I saw the sustained rise. I like seeing more detailed numbers on my temperature chart, not just the trend. You CAN see the temperature reads on Ava Bracelet if you click back through the days. Just not something I’m used to doing, but could adjust if I find the ovulation confirmation to continue to be in line with TempDrop. Also, not as important if you are trying to conceive because the fertile window is more important than the actual day of ovulation.⠀
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I think Ava Bracelet has the advantage if you’re not familiar with cycle charting and want to get started. It does not claim to be a contraceptive device. I think it has the right information and predictions to help alert of fertile window to achieve pregnancy and has a very clean and user friendly interface. ⠀
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Aside from cycle charting, I really like the stress data that Ava Bracelet provides. I think that’s important information for all women’s wellness. ⠀
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I’m including both outputs from Ava and my chart I made with TempDrop data. Both confirmed ovulation on the same day and followed mostly the same trend. I’m going to keep being a nerd and wearing both for a bit, because one cycle is not a study. Also, as I mentioned, I’ve been charting for years so I don’t really keep track of any physical signs in my app and I also jump ship after ovulation is confirmed. So…don’t judge my lazy charts 🥴⠀
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MUCH More to this review @ annieconklin.com/femtech ⠀
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And PS I bought them both myself 😉

28/05/2020

Some ladies buy too many 👠 ⠀
I buy too many fertility trackers 😂🌡⠀
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I use and love my to track my basal body temperature, but curiosity about the other data points that offers got the best of me, and now here I am with both 🤪(it helps that you can use HSA funds to buy it...just saying)⠀
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In addition to temperature, this tracker measures:⠀
➡️HRV Heart Rate Variability- I’m most interested in comparing these over night readings to the quick 2 min readings I’ve been taking with my chest strap ⠀
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➡️Breathing rate⠀
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➡️Pulse rate ⠀
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➡️Perfusion (passage of blood through circulatory system)⠀
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I just started a new cycle and I will be wearing both to compare my charts & of course will share the results! ⠀
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I’m curious though, does anyone know why the Ava says not for contraceptive use? Probably a legal thing, but seems to me any cycle tracker could be used to conceive OR avoid 🤔

07/05/2020

I just wrapped up my first full cycle syncing my workouts to my cycle to honor the hormonal shifts and needs of my body during the full 26 days of my cycle. With the start of my period, I entered Inner Winter, a time to rest, let go, and turn within.

I pretty much sucked at honoring Inner Winter.

And that's ok. I'm aware. I'm trying. And I'll try again.

I did take time off from working out. My bleed usually only lasts 3-4 days so that wasn't a big deal to me. Over the years I have struggled with even taking a single day off as rest, so I consider not stressing about taking 3 days off a success in my personal book. Both estrogen and progesterone are low during menstruation, and energy can be as well. This however, like all phases of the cycle, is personal. If movement feels good to you during this phase, go for it!

However, I didn't make the time to listen to myself. Inner winter offers an opportunity to turn within and allow yourself to listen to your own guidance that is often muffled by daily stress, to do lists, and life in general.

It’s taken me days to even write this post, I’ve been so busy! But I’m committed to doing my best to improving a little each month. Here’s to entering Inner Spring!

28/04/2020

Accountability partner 💯

24/04/2020

🍂I've hit the luteal phase of my cycle, Inner Autumn, and am adapting my workouts to be in sync with the hormonal changes and how they make me feel.🍂⠀
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During this phase, estrogen has peaked, but is still present and is working with progesterone to thicken the uterine lining. Estrogen and progesterone reach their highest point of the luteal phase in the middle of this phase, and then dip again as you reach menstruation. The hormonal ups and downs of this part of the cycle make many women feel sluggish. ⠀
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I personally always feel less motivated to keep busy and try new things during this part of my phase. I'm more content to stick to my normal routine and just kind of go with the flow. And take naps. 😴⠀
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As it relates to workouts, this is an important time to learn to listen to your body and have the grace to allow yourself to say "I don't feel like it" and be okay with it. In today's fitness environment, not working out is often seen as a lack of discipline or dedication. You see a lot of "I didn't want to, but I did it anyway" While having mental willpower to workout when you don't necessarily want to is sometimes important - if you truly don't want to because your body isn't feeling it. Just don't. You'll do less damage to your hormones by working with them.🥴⠀
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Because of a rise in oestradiol (an estrogen hormone), you may feel more snackish and craving carbs during this phase. I'm not telling you that so you avoid carbs, but so you can be aware of why you may feel differently about food during the second part of your cycle.🥐🥖🍞⠀
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I'm going to be cutting back cardio because cortisol response is lower in the luteal phase when levels of estradiol and progesterone are high compared to the follicular phase when levels are low. I personally need a decent amount of time to clear cortisol from my system, otherwise I get into trouble with my adrenals.🧘‍♀️⠀
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This looks like Les Mills CXWorx (this core training program is so fun, try it if you haven't!), lifting but not maxxing out, and towards the end of my inner autumn it will look more like Pilates and hopefully walking with my dog who is currently recovering from surgery. 🐶❤️

17/04/2020

Entering inner summer & I'm not mad about it!☀️

Inner summer is the phase of your cycle around ovulation. Since this is different for everyone, the range is around day 14-21. I usually ovulate on day 13, and I'm on day 12 of my cycle. I'm entering the most powerful phase.

During your ovulatory phase estrogen and testosterone are at the highest, giving you energy to train hard. After ovulation, estrogen decreases and progesterone rises, so now is the time to take advantage of your hormonal energy and really go for it. In the next phase, your body will be turning inward and will need tended to in a more gentle way.

Inner summer is an outward phase of your cycle. You may feel more social or expressive and enjoy spending time with your kids and your partner. Probably your family's most favorite part of your cycle, whether they identify it as such or not 😉

I'm going to enjoy the last few days of training hard before it's time to slow down. I'm still loving my workouts and the nice part is, they have workouts that fit each phase! Still doing Body Pump and Body Combat, with Body Flow cool downs. I plan to shift over to CXWorx and Barre workouts as my cycle progresses and my energy turns.

11/04/2020

INNER SPRING

Follicular phase - Day 6

I am learning to sync my workouts with my cycle, & am sharing this process for my first try this month!

I am currently in my follicular phase, which includes the days after you finish bleeding and up until ovulation.

During this phase hormones are rising, including FSH and estrogen. These rising hormones give you energy and you may find yourself feeling most creative during this phase. It's a great time to try a new workout or not hold yourself a strict schedule of workouts. High estrogen levels can also mean more flexibility in your muscles - which can be used to work on your flexibility during this time, but take it easy - it can also mean over extended and injured muscles.

Additionally, your body is able to handle more stress and stress hormones (cortisol) during this phase, so now is the time for cardio and HIIT workouts. This is because progesterone raises your body's response to cortisol, meaning it can be harder to clear and takes longer to recover. Progesterone levels are very low in the follicular phase, as progesterone is released only after ovulation.

Today I was excited to workout because I had to take a rest day yesterday. I watch my HRV to measure recovery & mine said to take a break yesterday (much more info on that on my blog if you're curious). I think it's because I started going hard too early in my "spring" phase & I had a crappy night of sleep.

But today I was set and ready and I felt like I had plenty of energy! I enjoyed a Les Mills Pump workout, which is basically as cardio as I get :) My heart rate was in the cardio zone and I had a great time!

I took a sauna post workout and ate my lunch. Hoping to do another or possibly Body Combat tomorrow. I'll check in then!

Also going to share other accounts you may be interested in following if this is your language. Today's is

09/04/2020

I've been pretty quiet over here, just taking these new days as they come and doing whatever feels good at the time. I hope you're all staying safe and well - there's plenty of tips out there already on how to to so, so I wanted to share what I'm learning about in my extra free time!⠀
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🌗I have been studying how to sync your workouts with the phases of your menstrual cycle. There are basics that you hear often (which are often conflicting - move to relieve cramps vs don't move at all on Day 1), but there's also a lot of really interesting about how your hormones (not just s*x hormones) are changing throughout your cycle, which affects how your body responds to exercise.⠀
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🌓This is super interesting if you are training with a goal - be it weight loss, strength gains, increasing flexibility - because the levels of your s*x hormones as well cortisol and blood sugar response fluctuates through your cycle. As someone who has chronic adrenal issues, this resonates with me. ⠀
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🌗Basically, women should NOT be doing the same workout routine weekly. ⠀
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🌓Men have a 24 hour hormonal cycle. Doing the same thing each day is just fine by their bodies.⠀
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🌕Women are not small men, we have different hormonal cycles that can unlock magic when supported.⠀
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I am reading .vitti new book "In the Flo" and look forward to sharing more information about syncing your whole LIFE to your hormonal cycle, but for now workouts captured my interest so I went looking for more info. I love podcast Healing Hormones and episode 21 "Syncing your Workouts and Your Cycle" with was a great listen on this topic. Check it out if you're curious about how to use your workouts...and work LESS for MORE results....it's a great conversation!⠀
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I just started my Follicular Phase so I am able to go hard for this phase...I'm going to sync my workouts to this cycle and keep you posted on which types of workouts are best for each cycle, as well as which specific ones I choose to do and how I feel!

02/04/2020

I feel like we could all use this simple wish from right about now ✨
It was always unknown anyway 😉

Annie Conklin Wellness