Conquering PCOS

Exercise is one of my favorite things to read about and discuss. Ever since I turned 19, I have been passionate about staying in shape. In a dream world, I would be getting paid to provide exercise plans for people and show them how to do the routines. Too many people already get paid for that though so it is not going to happen.

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In my opinion, it is important for women with PCOS to have an exercise routine or to at least be physically active everyday. There are so many different types of exercises and routines that one can choose from. This means that there should be something that everyone finds to be tolerable enough to do on a regular basis. It doesn't have to be anything crazy!

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Here are some great choices to look into:

• Weightlifting- This is great for anyone! Many women with PCOS have stated that their body composition has gotten better. Building muscle makes you burn more calories throughout the day.

• Calisthenics- These are exercises performed with body weight only. They include push-ups, dips, pull-ups, squat jumps and more. There are a lot of calisthenic exercise routines out there so make sure to look them up! These do not require a gym membership which is awesome.

• HIIT- This is high intensity interval training involving short periods of intensity and recovery periods. There have been some conflicting evidence about it in regards to whether or not it is good for women with PCOS. Some women on the PCOS subreddit have said that they have gotten some unwanted side effects from doing it each week. It has been awesome for me but we are all different.

• Fast walking or walking on an incline on the treadmil- Walking is great! Going for a fast walk is great for an off day physical activity. Also, walking on an incline on a treadmill can definitely count as a workout especially if you increase the speed once in a while.

• Pilates- I used to love Pilates! I have not done it in a while but I remember feeling so refreshed after getting done with the DVD routine. Combining it with strength training and cardio is sure to get you in great shape!

• Jumping movements, high knees and butt kicks- These are great forms of cardio exercises that can be done anywhere and are free. They all burn a lot of calories as well. I do them regularly and I am in great shape.

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So in conclusion, exercise is an important part in the treatment of PCOS. There are more types of workouts than the ones listed above but those are the ones that worked great for me. I hope that in this new online community  we can give each other exercise ideas.

 

 Combining a good diet with exercise can also help you lose fat off your abdominal area (some women with PCOS struggle with this) and get you some ab definition. Here are my results:

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