Top 4 low-intensity exercise for women with PCOS
- Meg Clifford
- Jul 8, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2020
For women with PCOS, low-intensity exercise is recommended over high-intensity exercise. This is because intense exercise can make the symptoms of PCOS worse, and constant physical stress can make the body cling on to fat and stop muscles from growing. In this article, I'm focusing on the top 4 types of exercise for women with PCOS which have helped me on my PCOS journey.
Walking / Power Walking
Walking is one of the best activities for PCOS. If you are following along with my PCOS fitness journey, you'll have seen that I try to get two power walks in a day. Walking is great because it can be done anywhere and only really requires a good pair of shoes for you to get out and about in your neighborhood or head to your local park. Although I have been considering a treadmill for when it is raining outside in the winter...
Walking can also be a great way to spend quality time with friends and family or an opportunity to meet new people, there is bound to be a walking group in your local area! To make sure you are getting the most out of your walk, power it up by adding intervals: alternate walking 5 minutes at a moderate pace and then 5 minutes of fast-pace. It is also important to vary your route so that you include flat surfaces, uphill and downhill to get the most benefit to your PCOS weight loss.
There are 8 key benefits of walking for women with PCOS, I'll be writing an article specifically about these:
Improve Circulation
Strengthened bones
Lighten Your Mood
Weight loss
Strengthen Muscles
Improved Sleep
Improve Your Breath
Reduce pain
Lifting Weights
Women with PCOS can build muscle quickly, which is good news if you're trying to burn extra calories. I recommend lifting weights twice a week.
Don't start with heavyweights though, a 2kg dumbbell in each hand is a great place to start and you can up the weight the better you get. You can easily lift weights at home by purchasing a set of dumbbells. Start with the lower weights and as you get fitter you could increase these by a few kilos on each side. I'll post a video on my YouTube channel of what types of exercise you can do with dumbbells.
If you prefer to workout at a gym then there are some fantastic classes offered in most gyms across the UK that focus on weight lifting, such as the popular Les Mills BodyPump classes. I am a member at Fitness First and have been to this class a number of times! It's great for a full-body weight lifting workout and the class environment isn't as daunting as being in the free weights sections if you are not sure what you are doing yet.
Swimming and Pool Workouts
Pool workouts such as swimming and aqua aerobics or Zumba are great activities for women with PCOS to do. This type of exercise uses resistance to work the whole body and is easy on the joints. If you're swimming laps, push yourself by setting distance or speed goals. I make sure to track my distance on my Fitbit to keep a record of my progress!
There are other types of water-based exercise, such as paddle boarding which is a low-intensity workout that tightens and tones the whole body and builds balance! Inflatable paddle boards are fantastic because they fold down into a bag that you can easily carry to the beach or lake and don't take up too much space!
Kayaking is another outdoors water-based exercise that works the upper body and core muscles. Inflatable kayaks are also now a thing! So again, these don't take up as much space as a traditional kayak... or you could always hire one for some one-off fun exercise!
The benefit of these outdoor water activities is that you get to enjoy being out and about, although they will be slightly more difficult if you don't live close to the sea or a lake.
Cycling
I love cycling! The freedom you feel when you're out and about, getting everywhere faster than if you were walking or running, getting a great amount of exercise in and breathing in the fresh air!
Cycling is a great form of exercise for women with PCOS because it can be kept at low-intensity and it is low impact. Cycling works your full body, but especially your legs and core which are key 'problem areas' for women with PCOS who are trying to lose weight. It is easy to stay in the 'fat burn' zone whilst cycling by ensuring that your route doesn't have too many hills. Aim for flats with a slight incline to get the most out of your cycle. Bikes can be picked up relatively cheap, especially if you opt for a second hand one.
If you would prefer to star your cycle journey at home, why not invest in a cycle trainer, for under £200 - an investment in your health will go a long way! Most gym's also offer spinning classes, this is another great way to take on cycling and at no extra cost if you already have a gym membership.
CHECK OUT MY VIDEO: Top Low-Intensity Exercises for Women with PCOS
Thank you to everyone supporting and following my PCOS journey; I'm aiming to raise awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which has had a big impact on my life. I post all of my daily videos on my TikTok and a weekly summary on my YouTube channel if you would like to follow along!
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