How To Exercise When You Have PCOS
How To Exercise When You Have PCOS
If you have PCOS, exercise can sometimes be tricky to incorporate. You know that it can be helpful to support your symptoms and even tackle underlying drivers such as insulin resistance. On the other hand, your symptoms can interfere with exercise, and not every form of exercise is ideal for someone with PCOS.
So what should you be doing training-wise to support your PCOS symptoms? Here are my top tips for anyone with PCOS wanting to reap the benefits of working out, while minimising the side effects.
Tips for exercising with PCOS
Strength training is a must
In my books, strength training is non-negotiable for anyone wanting to be happier and healthier! But it’s particularly important for those of us with PCOS.
Why? Because strength training helps us to build and maintain lean muscle mass. This not only improves your insulin sensitivity, but it also supports healthy weight management. In fact, resistance training was one of the two major forms of exercise I focused on when it came to managing my own PCOS symptoms.
Go for low-impact cardio over HIIT
Many people with PCOS will jump into high-intensity forms of exercise such as HIIT to help lose weight. But this can actually have the opposite effect!
The additional stress hormones we produce during HIIT might not be a big deal for the average person, but it can feed into PCOS symptoms and cause you to become more insulin resistant. That’s why I recommend starting with low-impact cardio exercise.
Now, before anyone comes for me – HIIT absolutely has its place in the world of exercise. But if you’ve developed PCOS, there’s a good chance that stress played a role in its development. And having a chronic condition brings another heaping of stress in itself! So your best option is to give it a miss until your symptoms are under control.
Low-impact cardio was the second form of movement that I prioritised for my PCOS symptom management.
With PCOS, it can feel like the whole world (or at least your body) is against you when it comes to feeling great and achieving your health goals. But there are ways you can improve your insulin sensitivity, balance your hormones & lose weight without starving yourself or over-exercising.
That’s why I created The PCOS Program!
Say goodbye to PCOS symptoms like fatigue, acne, bloating, food cravings and weight gain and say hello to feeling incredible. My comprehensive 4-week program will support you to kickstart and maintain your PCOS healing process.
Increase your intensity gradually
Once you’ve been working out for a while, does that mean you should ramp it up? Slow down – a sudden jump in intensity is not what we want to rush into. Instead, start with low-intensity workouts for both cardio and strength training, and gradually increase the intensity over a period of months (not weeks!)
This allows you the time that your body needs to adapt to exercise. But it also reduces your risk of overtraining, injury and flaring up your symptoms by going too hard, too soon. Remember that the goal is consistency over the long-term, not a quick fix.
Make sure rest & recovery is your top priority
It’s so easy to forget that many of the benefits of working out come AFTER you leave the gym. Getting enough rest is crucial, particularly for those with PCOS. If you don’t have adequate recovery time, it can increase your stress hormones and leave you depleted.
Make sure you schedule in regular rest days between your workouts. This gives your body the time it needs to repair, rebuild, reduce inflammation and prevent excess fatigue.
Manage your stress levels
As you might have noticed, there’s a strong theme of managing stress when it comes to PCOS! We know that stress can influence your hormone balance and exacerbate PCOS symptoms.
That’s why I recommend incorporating stress management techniques into your routine. In terms of working out, you can practice yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong. You can focus on deep breathing during and between sets at the gym. Or you can simply add a meditation session at the end of your workout as a form of recovery.
Need some inspiration? You can see my top tips for addressing stress here.
Use your menstrual cycle to support your goals
This might seem a bit strange, especially since your cycle is likely a big part of your symptoms! But if you pay attention to your cycle and adjust your workouts accordingly, it can make a big difference in your consistency and your results.
PCOS often causes irregularities in your cycle, which will influence your energy levels and your ability to exercise. For example, many feel best if they avoid more intense workouts during their period.
Try adjusting your workouts to accommodate these fluctuations in hormones. That way, you can keep smashing personal bests on your high energy days, while having some compassion for yourself and going gently on the tougher days.
Are you struggling with your PCOS symptoms?
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Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
Check out my free guide to healthy eating to design your own version of a healthy lifestyle so that you can feel energised and vibrant, or hire me to work my magic on your health through mindset, nutrition, and movement.
While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.