One study of women with PCOS found that regular exercise helped to improve inflammatory markers (CRP or C-reactive protein) and glucose/insulin levels after three months of an exercise training program compared to a similar group that did not perform regular exercise. In fact, exercise is the only treatment that improves all markers of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of disorders that occur together and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease (stroke or heart disease). Metabolic syndrome is sometimes called syndrome X or insulin-resistance syndrome.

Exercise can also dramatically reduce insulin resistanceby improving insulin sensitivity via lean muscle growth and the hormonal aftereffects of exercise.

With the root drivers of PCOS being metabolic (insulin dysregulation) and inflammation, exercise can be incredibly helpful as it helps to improve both of these factors.

The most effective way to exercise for PCOS will be to combine these three types of exercise;


1️⃣ RESISTANCE
Resistance exercise is things like weight training where the outcome is to build lean muscle tissue. This will help to improve insulin sensitivity and increaser overall metabolism. Aim to perform 2-4 resistance sessions weekly.


2️⃣ RESTORATIVE
Restorative exercise is really low-intensity where the outcome is to reduce cortisol (stress) and inflammation. It's going is to RESTORE, not to burn, hurt, sweat. Aim for 2-4 sessions weekly.


3️⃣ HIIT
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and consists of very short (10-30sec) high-intensity bouts directly followed by a rest. These sessions should last no more than 20 minutes and aim to perform 1-2 per week.

So, how many times per week are you currently exercising and what type of exercise are you performing?