Contributed by – Healthians Team
PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) isn’t just overwhelming; it can also be mind-boggling and sometimes an emotionally draining experience. This is because there’s so much anxiety about the associated risks of PCOS, such as infertility, endometrial cancer and type II diabetes. Given this complexity and uncertainty, it is not surprising that many women with PCOS experience moderate to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms.
In response to all these symptoms, doctors advise moderate exercise to reduce body mass as the first line of intervention for women with PCOS. “Your PCOS will disappear if you lose weight,” is a blanket statement from many doctors to women with PCOS, but those with this syndrome know that shedding the additional pounds is not that easy.
Read on to know why.
The Relationship between Weight and PCOS
One significant challenge with PCOS is that the body is genetically inclined to have a higher BMI. This coupled with insulin-resistance makes most women with PCOS two to three times more likely to be overweight as compared to women without the condition. Also, they tend to accumulate more weight than women without PCOS of the same age.
The Solution
With a unique health condition like PCOS, you don’t burn fat easily, as your hormones save it instead. Losing weight is the key to mitigate PCOS symptoms. Studies indicate that losing even 5% of body weight can help relieve PCOS symptoms. Exercise is the greatest insulin-sensitizing agent, no matter what type of physical activity you choose.
What exercises are recommended for PCOS?
Here are a couple of approaches to make weight reduction with PCOS a little simpler:
- Cardio Exercises: As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of low to moderate intensity exercises, like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling. You may choose to walk for 15 minutes, two times a day as it burns as many calories as a 30-minute session of sustained walking.
- Bodyweight exercises: Squats, push-ups, or tricep dips improve the function of insulin in your body. PCOS researchers recommend a combination of cardio and strength training to improve sensitivity to insulin and thus manage hormones.
- Interval training: Adding interval training to your workout regimen can maximize fat loss while reducing the amount of time you exercise. For example mountain walk, sprints, etc.
- Pool workouts: Swimming and aqua aerobics or Zumba are great activities for women with PCOS.
- Stretches and Yoga: Based on research in adolescents with PCOS, practicing yoga seems to improve reproductive hormone levels and insulin resistance. Exercises like butterfly pose, reclining butterfly pose, cobra pose, boat pose, lotus pose, etc. helps a lot in reducing PCOS. You should perform these stretched at least 5 days a week.
- Aerobic exercise: Aerobics help lower inflammation, reduce insulin resistance, promote weight loss, and improve reproductive function in women with PCOS.
Bottom Line
The take-home point here is that if you want to lose weight and sustain it over the long term, then it is important to consider physical activity very seriously. Whatever you choose to do, but ensure that you do it regularly. Make sure to increase the exercises gradually.
Losing excessive weight may not happen overnight. But you will definitely start feeling the difference after a few days of regular exercise.
