How your hormones make you flirt–without you even realizing you’re doing it

My Hormonology

How your hormones make you flirt–without you even realizing you’re doing it

walkIf you’re a longtime Hormonology fan, then you probably know by now that as your estrogen and testosterone rise in Week 2 of your cycle (which starts 8 days from the onset of your period), you get an energy boost that makes you do everything a bit faster–such as talking, typing, driving and biking.

However, researchers have found one notable exception to this hormonally speedy rule:

According to a 2012 study in the journal Gait & Posture, when you’re nearing ovulation at the end of your Week 2, you tend to slow down–and add a little more sway to your hips–when walking by someone you’re attracted to.

To prove this, the researchers secretly recorded female study participants as they walked in front of a good-looking volunteer, then tested the women’s hormone levels to find out where they were in their monthly cycles.

Sure enough, the women approaching ovulation were the slow-pokes with more swing to their hips!

So, why this change in walking style? As the researchers explain, it’s a subconscious way of appearing more feminine so you attract more suitors during the most fertile phase of your cycle.

And you don’t have to be aware of what’s going on for it to happen: Your body could be flirting up a storm–even if your mind is thinking of your shopping list and the next errand to run. And, okay, a little bit about the cutie you just passed in the hallway.

By the way, this isn’t the only subconscious change that occurs around this time of your cycle as a way to lure in more potential mates: Other research shows you also tend to speak in a more sing-songy way, wear more form-fitting and/or revealing clothes and are more likely to use makeup and wear jewelry!

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