5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight

The 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight that I am suggesting are PCOS friendly and easy to include in your day-to-day routine….

PCOS is that unwanted relative that nobody invites but still decides to come! Its not something we can prevent completely from happening in our lives but we sure can prevent it from re-entering or worsening ( How I wish this can be said true for the unwanted relatives though! ;P)

Now that I have caught your attention… Lets take a quick note on PCOS defination…

What is PCOS ?

Technically speaking, PCOS also known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common hormonal condition that affects the women reproductive system. (Think of it as the unwanted relative but with really bad temper issues). It usually starts at adolescents but there cases where it appears during the 20s or even late 20s! It is an endocrine and metabolic disorder…

Common symptoms of PCOS include:

1. Irregular or missed periods
2. Ovaries that are large or have many cysts
3. Excess body hair, including the chest, stomach, and back (hirsutism)
4. Weight gain, especially around the belly (abdomen)
5. Acne or oily skin
6. Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
7. Infertility 
8. Small pieces of excess skin on the neck or armpits (skin tags)
9. Dark or thick skin patches on the back of the neck, in the armpits, and under the breasts

Now lets get to the hot topic, the reason why you clicked my blog, The 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight…

1. Yoga
2. Resistance/strength/Weight training
3. Brisk Walking
4. Pilates
5. Low impact Cardio Exercises

PCOS exercises to lose weight at home – Best time, worst exercises etc

Along with Diet, Exercise is an important aspect of dealing with reversing PCOS symptoms or dealing with PCOS altogether! Whats interesting is that these 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight are convenient and easy to do and does not stress your hormones!

Understand that when it comes to PCOS, doing very strenuous exercises can cause stress to the hormones and increasing the Cortisol hormones which in turn will bring about more PCOS symptoms like acne, hair fall, weight gain especially in the abdomen area and strenuous exercises. So opting for less strenuous but more strength developing exercises are ideal for PCOS patients…

Coming to the best time for exercise, to be honest, I really dont feel like there is a particular set time best for doing any of these 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight.. Doing these exercises early in the morning will help you get ready for the day and you can do them at ease, evening is a good time too but it does get tiring as we are often home after work and doing any sort of exercise will lead to fatigue.

There is no strict rule to do these exercises in the morning; you can do them at any time of the day. Just make sure to be consistent for the best results!

Making exercise and diet an essential part of the treatment for PCOS has shown tremendous benefits in improving fertility and regulating the menstrual cycle.

5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight – Explained

Yoga

Yoga is the most common exercise that one would have heard of when it comes to PCOS exercise which can be done at home to lose weight. Research shows that a yogic lifestyle is known to reduce stress and regulate the hormones like Luteinizing Hormone and Testosterone and is also a good way to reduce hirsutism.

Here are a few asanas which can be followed for PCOS people.

• Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) for 10 minutes
• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
• Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
• Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
• Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
• Twisted Angle Pose (Parsva -konasana)
• Spread Leg Intense Stretch (Prasarita padottanasana)
• Inverted Pose (Viparita Karni)
• forward Stretch (Paschimottanasana)
• Butterfly pose (Baddhakonasana)
• Garland Pose (Malasana)
• Plough Pose (Halasana)

Breathing exercises which will help..

• Sectional Breathing (Vibhagiya- Pranayama) 2 min
• Forceful Exhalation (Kapala Bhati) 2 min
• Right Nostril Breathing (Suryanuloma Viloma)
• Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi suddhi)

End your yoga session with (Savasana) for 10 min

Strength/Resistance/Weight Training

Resistance training (RT) is a form of anaerobic exercise that involves performing repetitive movements against resistance to increase muscle strength. This type of exercise deals with increasing muscle strength, improves insulin senstivity and helps in decreasing the levels of cortisol and thereby decreasing the weight gain of an individual.

While doing resistance training, it is better if you start with lower weights and gradually increase your weights. If you enjoy resistance training at home and want to continue more, its better to take the assistance of a fitness trainer for better guidance…

Resistance straining focuses on your entire body at the same time you can train for specific body parts like core, arms, legs etc.

Brisk Walking

Walking is by far the easiest workout for everyone including women with PCOS. Its time-effect for people who dont have the time to do resistance training or yoga or pilates, its even very refreshing as you will be taking in the fresh air. Walking is known to reduce stress and maintains a steady heart rate and yet gets in some cardio for you! If you can include 30 minutes of walking every day, its the best form of exercise.

Pilates

Pilates is another mind to body workout like yoga which is good for PCOS people. Pilates exercises can be paired with yoga for people who have less time. Pilates focuses on centering, control, flow,
concentration, precision, breathing, isolation, and routine.

Research shows that people practising pilates have visibly reduced period cramps in 4-15 weeks and regulation of menstrual cycle. 3 months of consistency and structured exercising as proven to decrease weight and reduce insulin sensitivity in patients.

Low-Impact Cardio Exercises

Exercises like swimming, cycling , squats, lunges, etc which doesnt involve lifting a weight but yet increases your heart rate is mainly termed as Low impact cardio exercises. Now why dietitians suggests low impact cardio is because they sure do increases your heart rate and help in burning the fat but it doesnt cause any stress to your hormones.

Click here to get a full workout routine to follow.

So, these 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight are all easy, and you have many youtube videos which will guide you step by step. Choose videos which are at beginner level if you are just starting out and gradually increase to different levels.

5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight – Why is it important!

PCOS not only shows the above mentioned symptoms but also affects one’s health chronically. PCOS has been proven to cause insulin sensitivity, high LDL cholesterol, liver issues like grade 1 fatty liver ( I had been diagnosed with this when I had PCOS) and endometriosis in some or other chronic diseases.

Physical activity is very important to prevent such conditions which develop during PCOS. And following a diet which is PCOS friendly along with phyical activity can improve the symptoms thereby reversing PCOS.

These 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight help you target the symptoms of PCOS and help you to prevent the chronic conditions. Many women are prescribed medicines when it comes to PCOS and those have not actively helped with the symptoms but has given more side effects. But following the 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight along with a good diet will definetly give you results and better your lifestyle and obviously reverse your symptoms.

Conclusion

PCOS is a difficult condition to combat as it affects emotionally and physically. Symptoms like acne, hirsutism, hair fall can affect a woman emotionally and cherry on top there are even mood swings… We do undergo an emotional rollercoster with a lot of physical pain.

But this is something that can be easily reversibe and can be further prevented if you change your lifestlye by including any of these 5 PCOS exercises at home to lose weight. You can mix up these exercises and play around with it and enjoy while doing it. Start slow and be consistent, see how your body accepts the lifestyle changes and once you are in the rhythm of exercising and diet, you will see the way your body will heal itself.

Like I said PCOS does take-a-toll on your emotions, and that can lead to self-depracating for looking a certain way or feeling a certain way. Every individual has a diferent way their body functions, feels, and looks… Learn to love it so that it can heal! Don’t be hard on yourself and love yourself throughout the PCOS journey and let your body show its magic!

Now I have a FREE exercise routine, click on the PDF to obtain it!

PDF

For more content on Nutrition click here.

Thank you!