
Evidence suggests lifestyle modification should be the first line of therapy for women with PCOS.

PCOS accounts for approximately 80% of women with anovulatory infer-tility, and causes disruption at various stages of the reproductive axis. Prevalence ranges from 6.1–19.9% depending on the criteria used to give a diagnosis. If you still want to get your heart pumping and muscles aching without the impact, try swimming.Īlternatively, keep it light and gentle with yoga (some types of yoga won’t be appropriate if you are avoiding impact due to an injury, so make sure you check with a trainer before jumping into a class).Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrinopathy affecting both the metabolism and reproductive system of women of reproductive age. Packed with benefits and accessible to everyone, a good place to start would be aiming for 7k steps a day (the 10k target is a marketing tool, and research shows that benefits plateau after around 7,500 steps a day ). Walking is probably the easiest way to increase your low-impact activity. Best low-impact exercises for people with PCOS Introducing any form of movement will be useful for those who currently don’t exercise, and a long, brisk walk can feel much more manageable than a 5k run. In people with PCOS, lifestyle interventions including changes to exercise and diet are recommended as the best way to manage symptoms. LISS was even shown to have just as many health benefits as HIIT, but participants found LISS workouts more enjoyable – an underrated but important factor to consider when planning your workout routine. While vigorous activity has been shown to be useful for people with PCOS, it’s worth keeping in mind that too much high-impact exercise isn’t the best way to support your health – particularly for those who have PCOS which already impacts metabolism and insulin levels.Īnother small study found that low impact steady state (LISS) exercise leads to significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness and muscular power. While we often think of banging a boxing bag as a good way to beat stress and improve metabolism, too much high-intensity activity is actually shown to do the opposite: a small study from Cell Metabolism found that doing more than 90 minutes of HIIT training a week had negative effects on metabolic health and glucose control. Low impact activity has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, particularly when done after eating, as well as reduce cortisol levels. That’s not true – there are lots of benefits to the training style. If you’re used to squat-jumping until your heart rate reaches 200bpm, you might think that low-impact exercise sounds pointless. But it doesn’t have to mean that your heart rate doesn’t rise – in fact, some of the best forms of low-impact exercise are cycling and swimming. Typically, this type of exercise might also be lower intensity as you won’t be jumping, running or springing around. That means no jumping or harsh landing, but instead doing fluid movements that are gentler on the body.

When it comes to exercise, low impact means avoiding pressure on the joints. Instead, you might benefit from low-impact workouts. In fact, for people with PCOS who need to think even harder about their hormones and energy levels before embarking on a workout plan, high-intensity training isn’t always the solution.

While social media and the buzzing fitness industry have made intense exercise that leaves you huffing and puffing in a sweat-drenched ball seem like the best way to move, that’s not true for everyone. We all know that moving our bodies is so important for our health.
