Your Period Is a Fifth Vital Sign: What Your Cycle Says About Your Health
In 2015, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign when assessing the health of girls and adolescents (ACOG, 2015). Researchers now argue it should be considered a vital sign all the way through menopause (Comprehensive Review, 2024).
That’s why your menstrual cycle is often called the fifth vital sign, alongside blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
What does this mean for you? Your cycle is a gift and a powerful report on how your body is doing. Changes in your cycle, flow, or pain can be early signals that your hormones, stress levels, or reproductive health need more support.
If you’re experiencing irregular cycles or new symptoms, it’s worth checking in with your healthcare provider, and it’s the perfect time to build a loving relationship with your menstrual cycle and listen to what she has to say.
Why Your Period Is a Sign of Your Overall Health
If you’re not quite connected to your cycle, you’re not alone. Modern society has a way of disconnecting women from their bodies instead of empowering them. Perhaps at some point you’ve felt shame for some aspect of being a woman?
I’ve felt embarrassed about my own period, even hiding that I bleed or whispering “I’ve got my period” as though it were a huge secret. I was raised to believe periods were an annoyance and certainly shouldn’t be spoken about. This led me to feel disconnected from my womb and cycle for most of my life.
Like me, many women in North America never received proper pelvic health education.
The idea of using menstruation as a measure of health was popularized by Kelsey Knight and Emily Varnam, after they discovered how little many pregnant women had been taught about basic reproductive health. It inspired them to create a course called The Fifth Vital Sign, which used the menstrual cycle as a measure of overall health. From there, they went on a mission across 43 states to educate women on pregnancy, birth, and menstruation (you can read their story on VICE).
My own path to reconnecting with my cycle was a spiritual and healing journey. What I love about their work is that it brings that same respect for the womb into everyday physical health.
What Your Period Might Be Telling You
Every body is different, so the goal isn’t to compare yourself to anyone else. It’s to get to know your own patterns. Here’s what to start noticing:
Cycle length and regularity
Track the first day of each period. If your cycle suddenly becomes much shorter, longer, or unpredictable, it may be a sign of hormonal changes or stress.
Flow
Notice how heavy your bleeding is and how many days it lasts. Bleeding so heavy that you need to change your pad or tampon every hour or two is worth discussing with your doctor (ACOG, 2015).
Pain
Some mild cramping can be common, but pain that stops you from working, sleeping, or living your life is not something you should have to push through. Severe period pain can be connected to conditions like endometriosis or PCOS, as well as chronic pelvic tension.
Colour and texture
As someone who studied womb yoga, I learned to observe my blood each month: its colour, flow, smell, and texture. This gave me helpful insight into my health and helped me build a more compassionate relationship with my body.
Mood and energy
Notice how your mood, energy, and sleep shift across your cycle. Big emotional swings or exhaustion before your period can be signs of hormonal imbalance.
Why So Many Women Feel Disconnected From Their Cycle
If you don’t feel connected to your period, you’re not alone. Many of us were taught that periods are something to hide, manage, or get through.
I’ve felt embarrassed about my own period, even hiding that I was bleeding or whispering “I’ve got my period” as though it were a huge secret. I was raised to believe periods were an annoyance and shouldn’t be spoken about. That left me disconnected from my womb and my cycle for most of my life.
Most of North America is also lacking proper pelvic health education. Many women never learn what a healthy cycle looks like, so they don’t know when something is off.
The Movement Teaching Women to Read Their Cycle
The idea of using your period as a measure of health was popularized by Kelsey Knight and Emily Varnam, who noticed how little many women knew about their own reproductive health. They created a course called The Fifth Vital Sign and taught it across 43 states (you can read their story on VICE).
My own path to reconnecting with my cycle was more of a spiritual and healing journey. What I love about their work is that it brings that same respect for the womb into everyday physical health.
How to Start Listening to Your Cycle
As a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) specializing in women’s health, I recommend a simple daily practice to support your cycle physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It takes as little as 5 to 10 minutes a day:
Cycle journaling: note your cycle day, the moon phase, and three words for how you feel
A womb-friendly affirmation to shift how you speak to your body
Gentle womb yoga to release tension in the pelvis and hips
Womb meditation with pelvic floor breathwork to calm your nervous system
Rest during your bleed whenever you can, instead of pushing through
When I work with women in my private online yoga therapy sessions, I build a personalized version of this practice so they can support themselves between and beyond our sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Your Period as a Vital Sign
What does it mean that your period is a vital sign?
It means your menstrual cycle is a meaningful indicator of your overall health, just like your pulse or blood pressure. Changes in your cycle can signal shifts in your hormones, stress levels, or reproductive health.
What does a healthy period look like?
A healthy cycle looks different for everyone, but it’s generally fairly predictable, with bleeding you can manage and pain that doesn’t disrupt your daily life. The most useful thing you can do is journal track your own cycle so you discover your patterns and what’s normal for you.
When should I talk to a doctor about my period?
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have very heavy bleeding, periods that suddenly stop or become very irregular, bleeding between periods, or pain that stops you from going about your day.
Holistic practices work best alongside medical care, not instead of it.
Can stress affect your menstrual cycle?
Yes. Chronic stress affects the hormones that regulate your cycle, which can show up as irregular periods, worse cramps, or stronger PMS. Learn more in my guide to stress and menstruation.
How can I support my menstrual health naturally?
Start by tracking your cycle, then add simple daily practices like breathwork, gentle womb yoga, meditation, and rest during your bleed. Small, consistent habits make the biggest difference over time. For guidance on this, get my free guide to reduce period pain here.
Start Listening to What Your Period Is Telling You
If your period comes with pain, tension, or symptoms you’ve been told to just live with, your body is asking for support, not silence.
My free period pain guide is a gentle place to start. It explains what may be behind your period pain and 3 simple exercises to begin easing pain naturally.
Sending you big womb blessings,
Joss | Yoga Therapist C-IAYT
About the Author
Joss Frank is a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and E-RYT 500 specialising in women’s hormonal health, nervous system regulation, and feminine embodiment. She is the founder of Wild Womb and has supported hundreds of women with their hormonal health and helped them reconnect with their bodies through her online courses and 1:1 yoga therapy sessions.