Managing PCOS - Physical Activity

Main Menu

Home

About PCOS

GPs and Health Professionals

PCOS, weight and diet

Other Resources

Online Shop

Members Login

Home

Lifestyle and PCOS

Physical Activity

woman walking For women with PCOS it is much easier to lose weight by combining diet with physical activity and behaviour change than by simply dieting alone. There is now evidence that moderate physical activity, in the absence of weight loss still improves PCOS symptoms and fertility as well as risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes including high blood pressure, high glucose levels and insulin resistance. Exercise (three times per week for 40 minutes at moderate intensity) in PCOS reduces androgens, improves insulin resistance , regulates cycles, induces ovulation and improves fertility. Indeed a recent study showed this to be even better than diet induced weight loss. Physical activity also increases energy levels, improves self esteem and reduces anxiety and depression.

How much physical activity should I do?

Aim to include some type of physical activity every day for at least 30 minutes and build this up over time. This can also be broken up into smaller sessions (10-15 minute sessions) spread out over the day, and can include both structured exercise and incidental exercise (daily lifestyle activities such as climbing stairs whenever possible, walking greater distances {i.e. parking further away or getting off the bus a stop or two earlier}, walking during lunchtime, walking down the hall instead of emailing, gardening and house cleaning).

Using a simple, cheap tool such as a pedometer and aiming for 10,000 steps per day can help you to measure how much incidental exercise you do each day. Exercise with a family member or a friend. It is important that you try to make this a key priority in your life as it will affect your long-term health.

Types of physical activity

Different types of physical activity give you different benefits. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise which increases your heart rate helps to build up fitness and expend (use up) energy. Start at a low to moderate intensity and gradually increase this over the course of several weeks or months as your fitness improves.

Resistance or strength exercise such as weight training helps to build up muscle mass. This is important as muscle is the part of the body responsible for burning the greatest amount of energy. Increasing your muscle mass can therefore help increase the amount of energy you use up every day both while exercising and while resting. Ideally resistance training should be performed three times per week using a variety of different exercises that work each of the major muscle groups. Check with your local community health service to see if there are any strength training groups in your local area.