Last updated on May 20th, 2022 at 04:41 pm
I go through the different mistakes in this video, you can also read about them in this article, below the video.
Exercise can be a wonderful medicine for PCOS, but you might find that it is difficult to stick to your workout routine because of the common mistakes that you’re likely making.
Before you know it, months have passed and those pounds haven’t budged! And you're still not experiencing any significant improvements in your PCOS symptoms.
With all the conflicting exercise advice out there, it’s hard to know what is right and what isn’t.
Here are some of the common mistakes that I see PCOS women make.
HIIT is a great way to burn fat but not if you have adrenal PCOS. For PCOS clients, HIIT can cause a lot of damage. With HIIT, you are risking increasing your cortisol levels even higher which can lead you to more weight gain, chronic fatigue, sleeping problems and menstrual disruption.
Even if you reduce your workout intensity, HIIT still increases adrenaline, which causes an increase in testosterone.
The best way to improve your PCOS symptoms is to get up and move! If you're sedentary for a large portion of the day, you will likely be storing fat.
If you are sedentary during some days and active on others, this could work against your overall homeostasis and balance. If you have PCOS you want your hormonal balance to be consistent. It has been proven that regular activity will increase your metabolism and as we know, low metabolism is one of the biggest side effects of PCOS (which prevents you to lose fat).
When you take the time to exercise, you are also taking the time to build a solid workout routine (or habit) that can improve your PCOS symptoms. Once you fall into a routine, it becomes easier and easier to stay consistent.
The simple fact is that you need to increase your activity and be more physically active throughout the day in order to improve PCOS symptoms.
For people with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) who want to feel good and be able to manage PCOS symptoms, resistance training is your best bet.
Strength training lowers androgens, improves insulin sensitivity, increases your metabolism, and helps with weight loss and muscle building. These are the most important benefits of resistance training. In a nutshell, resistance training helps to overcome the most critical PCOS symptoms.
Too much cardio will burn your muscles and this is going to have an extreme impact on your metabolism. This means less muscle will slow down your metabolism.
Too much cardio can cause excessive hunger and fatigue. Also, high levels of exercise for long periods of time can also cause you to create too much cortisol and adrenaline, which may affect your sleep, mood and fertility.
PCOS can make you overweight. As a result, you may think that the best remedy is to increase your cardio to lose weight but this can have the opposite effect on your PCOS.
I'm not implying here that you should stop cardio exercises altogether, but you should do these types of exercises in moderation as it will be better for you.
If you have PCOS, exercising and actively moving should be a top priority (particularly if you want to reduce or even eliminate your PCOS symptoms).
However, if you're finding it difficult to carry out your workout routine, then maybe you should have a chat with your health professional or personal trainer about what will work best for you. It is not easy to find a balance particularly if one of your PCOS side effects is excessive weight gain.
However, not always more exercise is better when it comes to PCOS. We all have our own unique body types and needs and a tailored workout will benefit you best.
Another mistake commonly made by PCOS women is to feel overwhelmed by the amount of exercise they think they need to do. There is no such thing as a one size fits all approach and there is no particular exercise regime that works best for everyone.
Again, a tailored workout that is suited to your lifestyle, needs and goals is the most effective way of achieving the best results.
You would be surprised at how effective regular exercise can be for those suffering with PCOS.
If you have the right motivation and desire to improve your lifestyle and feel great, then you will experience an increase in your quality of life. If you have a good diet, sleep, self-love and are exercising regularly then you will start to see results (as long as you are committed).
If you require further help with this, then please do get in touch with me.
