Hi Reader,

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Are you confused about the best way to exercise for your PCOS?

There is SO much conflicting information surrounding PCOS and hormone imbalances in general.

Many are told that losing weight is KEY to managing their PCOS, and for some women, that may be helpful. Unfortunately, if not given a clear understanding of how to lose weight safely and sustainably, many women can fall into a cycle of restriction, over-exercise, and binging, which only leads to a greater imbalance in the body.

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Let’s talk PCOS and exercise.

Daily movement has been shown to help balance insulin levels in metabolic disorders like PCOS. It also reduces the stress hormone cortisol, and boosts those feel-good hormones in your brain.

Unfortunately, OVER exercising can also stress the body out and increase cortisol levels, especially if you’re not eating enough to keep up with the calories you’re burning during exercise.

So, how can you exercise in the most beneficial way for your PCOS?

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If Your PCOS is Inflammation Driven or Adrenal Driven

Start small. If exercise is new to you (especially daily exercise), you don’t need to go buy a gym membership or treadmill.

Instead, start by starting and ending your days with a long walk. Slowly increase this to faster walking or add other activities before and after, such as stretching or strength training.

Activities like yoga or pilates, in addition to walks, are best if your body isn’t used to daily movement or if you’re very sensitive to changes in your routine.

Over-exercising, often in the case of long-distance running, can increase cortisol levels, which will only imbalance your hormones further.

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If You’re Insulin Resistant

Strength training is a great option because as you build muscle, it helps you maintain your blood sugar levels. Additionally, muscle cells are more insulin-sensitive after exercise.

If your goal is weight loss to improve your PCOS symptoms, strength training is also the way to go. When you build muscle, your muscles continue to use energy up to 72 hours after your workout to repair themselves.

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My Favorite Way to Move

Personally, HIIT training has been a wonderful addition to my workout routine. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) rotates higher intensity, cardio-based workouts with slower recovery or strength training workouts.

Because it is more intense of a workout, you should only do it a few times a week and adjust it as you see changes in your body (i.e. if your period goes missing, it was probably too much too fast OR if things start improving and you start increasing endurance, you may want to increase the intensity of the workout.)
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The Relationship Between PCOS and Exercise

If you want to learn more about how exercise affects PCOS, check out my latest blog post Can PCOS be Treated with Exercise?

NEW BLOG: Can PCOS Be Treated with Exercise? The Benefits of Physical Activity for PCOS ​ Read More

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In my upcoming self-paced course, we dive deeper into choosing the right exercise for you and your PCOS type. Not sure what your PCOS type is? Check out my free quiz.

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Until next week!

Vivienne

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PO BOX 168, Brighton, VIC 3186
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