Top 8 Exercises to Control PCOS Problem

While medical science has been improving recently, medication might not always be the only way to cure and treat every disease. Rather, accompanying these with exercising and working out can help you recover faster. PCOS is one such hormonal condition which can be treated with daily exercise.

Are you confused about the best exercises to control PCOS? This article will provide you with a compilation of exercises you can easily practise at home.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a medical condition that mainly affects women of reproductive age. It causes an imbalance of reproductive hormones, resulting in the following issues.

• Increased blood cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Sleep apnoea
• Increases the risks of pregnancy complications

Women suffering from PCOS are always advised to take physical activities seriously. Besides medical treatment, exercising and working out help recover faster from this condition.

Clinical researchers do not know the exact causes of PCOS. In the majority of the cases, however, it is seen that the patients have high insulin resistance. Thus, when insulin levels build up in such women's bodies, it can cause higher androgen levels. This can trigger PCOS. Moreover, obesity is also known for triggering insulin levels, which can ultimately result in PCOS.

Here are some common symptoms that are seen in women suffering from PCOS.

• Missed or irregular periods
• Excessive body hair
• Acne or oily skin
• Large ovaries or cysts in ovaries
• Infertility
• Small parts of excess skin in armpits and neck
• Dark skin patches on the back of the neck, under the breasts and in the armpits
• Baldness or thinning hair

Do you wish to find the right physical exercises to recover from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? The following list can be the best picks for you.

1. Walking

Let us start with the simplest one. As discussed, PCOS patients are always advised to maintain some form of physical activity. Even if you lack time or energy to do anything else, walking is an exercise that one can do easily.

A daily 5-minute walk can also contribute to controlling your symptoms and complications of PCOS. The best time to do this is in the morning. High-paced walking or jogging will give you better results in a short time.

2. Cardio

It is essential to keep your heart pumping when suffering from PCOS. Cardiovascular workouts can help you with this. Apart from walking, swimming is the most common one. If you know how to swim, you can push yourself to set distance and speed goals once or twice weekly. It will help you stay energetic and in the right shape.

Moreover, you can also try aerobics and dancing if you have a knack in this field. Cycle riding can also be beneficial for cardio. These exercises are light and can help you maintain regular physical activities while dealing with PCOS.

3. Light Weight Training

Since women with PCOS have high androgen levels, they tend to build muscles quickly. In addition, this results in them having greater muscle strength and in weight gain issues and complications. It is, therefore, better to avoid such a situation by burning the extra calories. For doing this, consider light weight training at least twice a week.

If you are inexperienced in weight training, always consider a session with a professional trainer. Make it into a daily routine to meet them in weeks for a simple weight training workout. This way, you can maintain a healthy weight even with PCOS.

4. Aqua Aerobics or Zumba

Pool workouts have gained popularity recently. These are relaxing and helpful at the same time if you are recovering from PCOS. Aqua aerobics or Zumba has been popular for women. These light and fun exercises help women with PCOS avoid gaining unnecessary weight while also carrying out their physical workouts.

5. Strength Training

Bodyweight and strength training should be considered when taking into account the best exercises for PCOS. Exercises like squats, push-ups, or triceps dips can improve the insulin functioning in your body. However, these can also contribute to building more body muscles. There is no risk of bulking up unless you take steroids.

This type of training enables using resistance bands, weights, or your body weight to gain muscles. This way, you can make your body more fit and healthy. This is effective for maintaining a healthy weight when suffering from PCOS.

6. HIIT Workouts

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is also considered an important exercise for PCOS problems. It involves an intense exercise and workout routine with regular intervals of rest. In this regard, you can include exercises like burpees, tuck jumps, and mountain climbers.

It aims at boosting the outcomes of cardio with heavier workout routines. Most people consider it an efficient way of maintaining heart health and a healthy weight. It also aids in improving insulin resistance faster.

7. Core Strength

If your weight is more than ideal, there are chances of getting frequent pain in the lower back. It can cause further complications to your PCOS problems. Training for core strength can help you avoid such issues. These muscles support your spine, and their strengthening helps improve your overall posture.

Women with PCOS trying to conceive can perform exercises which improve core strength and bring endurance to the pelvis, legs, and upper abdomen. Improving the core strength in these muscles will help support a healthy pregnancy.

8. Mind-body Exercises

The link between body and mind is evident in recent clinical research. Women having a healthy mental condition are likely to recover from PCOS easily. Moreover, it allows having a prompt response to stress and anxiety without having to deteriorate the physical or mental health.

Such exercises mainly include yoga, Pilates, and tai chi. These can not only help burn calories but also largely reduce mental stress and anxiety. Therefore, these exercises are a one-stop solution for most of your PCOS symptoms and complications.

Maintains a Healthy Weight

Excess fat and weight above the ideal standard can worsen PCOS symptoms and complications. Doing regular exercise becomes even more helpful and effective for women with PCOS as it helps them lose weight alongside maintaining a healthy diet.

Helps Reduce Cholesterol

Women suffering from PCOS usually have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. These levels can result in causing metabolic syndrome. While there may be medicines for this, proper exercise and diet can help reduce these levels quickly.

Helps to Maintain a Healthy Insulin Level

As discussed, women suffering from PCOS face the difficulty of insulin resistance. Regular cardio exercising helps your body respond to insulin in an improved manner. It lowers your risk of developing diabetes or any other diseases.

Boosts Sleep Pattern

Regular physical activities make your body tired, helping you get better sleep at night. Women suffering from PCOS often face sleep apnoea issues, snoring, and insomnia. Having a good sleep routine is essential. Exercising in the day will help you get better and deeper sleep to resolve these issues.

Improves Heart Health

PCOS increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases in women. They usually develop atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. However, regular exercising strengthens the heart muscles, lowering the risks of developing such conditions.

Regulates and Maintains Hormones

Excess fat in the body often creates an imbalance of hormones, which can trigger PCOS. Reducing these with regular exercising and working out will help you manage and regulate your hormones. Naturally, you will be able to control your PCOS symptoms.

While HIIT is considered one of the best workouts for PCOS, patients need to be cautious regarding the extent of the workout. For instance, if you attempt an intense workout that is not ideal for your body, you might worsen the PCOS symptoms and complications.

A constant effort to avoid fat accumulation can be perceived as self-imposed stress from an external attack by your body. It will cause the hormones to react aggressively. Extreme weight lifting or constant push-ups can trigger such conditions in PCOS patients.

Therefore, it is always advisable to take professional training and sessions from fitness professionals. Moreover, you should also take help from your doctor regarding your physical conditions before choosing your workout routine.

Apart from that, it would help if you were in constant touch with the physicians and gym trainers. If you feel any physical or mental hazards, consult them to check if exercising might be causing these issues. In such cases, reduce the intensity of your workout routine.

Hopefully, now you have a comprehensive idea regarding the exercises to control PCOS. As this article pointed out, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet will help you recover from and control the symptoms of this condition faster. However, it would help if you avoided extremely heavy workout routines, as they might trigger the symptoms of PCOS and related complications.