Pcos Exercise

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Facts about PCOS

PCOS(Polycystic ovary syndrome) is a hormonal disorder in women. In this condition hypothalamus in the brain sends incorrect signals to the master gland that is the pituitary gland. This incorrect signal causes ovarian dysfunction in women. As a result, a small cyst grows in the woman's ovary.

The ovaries are also responsible for generating hormones like estrogen, progesterone and androgens. Androgen is more or less like testosterone is like a male hormone. For hormonal imbalance, the secretion of androgen is more which results in the following issues

1. Irregular Periods

2. No ovulation

3. Acne

4. Excessive hair growth (hirsutism) or hair loss on our head (alopecia)

Sometimes women also suffer from depression, anxiety and weight gain.

There is no particular medication for PCOS. But sometimes the doctor may prescribe medicines like metformin to treat irregular periods.

Lifestyle changes can play a key role to manage the symptoms of PCOS. PCOS is a medium via which your body speaks that it cannot manage sugary foods. Having a healthy diet and exercising every day can come to your aid.

Exercises to Manage PCOS

Going for a Long Walk

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“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day”

Walking is the best exercise for people of all ages or any health ailments. For walking you need no training, no advice, no techniques just walk in your own speed and comfort level. You can do a

Spot walking at home or a long walk in the park according to your own convenience. Walking helps to increase your muscle strength, improves your blood pressure and cardio system. It also keeps you happy and energetic throughout the day.

Weight Training

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Building muscle mass means keeping the blood sugar in a healthy level. Muscle cells can consume the glucose so there will be less insulin production from our pancreas to consume sugar.

You can hit the gym and request to train you with some good workouts to build your muscles.

Based on your body endurance level your trainer can plan a weight training regime for you. The general weight training comprises deadlifts, squats, rowing, overhead press, bench press and chin-ups.

Cardio

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Cardio exercises enjoy cycling, jogging, swimming and running lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. It recommended doing 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day to maintain a sound BMI index of your body. It also helps to reduce the symptoms of PCOS by making you stress-free, regularizing the periods and improving the ovulation process.

Yoga

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Yoga and meditation open up all your vents to release all the stress stored inside you.There is yoga program customized for PCOS. According to the art of living program for PCOS following yoga asanas can do wonders to manage the PCOS symptoms

1. Butterfly Pose

2. Supta Baddha Konasana

3. Bharadvajasana

4. Chakki Chalanasana

5. Shavasana

6. Padma Sadhana

7. Sun Salutation

The postures associated with the above asanas help in abdominal compression, improves the function of the internal organs, releases the stress, opens up the pelvic area and help us to relax. Please follow the proper technique of breathing and stretching to get the maximum benefits.

Diet Changes to reduce symptoms of PCOS

Low carb and high protein diet

Reducing the food rich in carbohydrates can help to manage a healthy blood sugar level. There are three types of Carbohydrates starch, sugar and fibre. When we take those foods with carbohydrates, it breaks sugar and starch into glucose. Insulin aids in this process of breakage of sugar and starch into glucose. Insulin resistance is a very common problem among 70 percent of women with PCOS. It requires insulin for our daily activities and energy storage in our body. The GI index or Glycemic index determines a particular food raises how much blood sugar. The food with Low GI index helps in the condition like PCOS

• Low GI: Green vegetables, most fruits, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and bran breakfast cereals

• Medium GI: bananas, raisins, oat breakfast cereals, multigrain

• High GI: White rice, roti, potatoes, maida

Food with a low GI is absorbed slowly by our body whereas food with a high GI is absorbed faster, thus raising our blood sugar level.

So a diet with low GI can be helpful to treat PCOS.

Protein group of food helps to stabilize the blood sugar. It also keeps us fuller for a longer time. This group of food has a low GI Index.

Adding more amount of protein in your every meal and cutting the carbohydrates like rice, bread, roti can also aide in weight loss journey.

Food rich in protein are eggs, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, nuts and dairy products.

High Fiber Intake

Reference daily intake of fibre should be 25 grams per day for 1000 calories. Fiber adds roughage to your diet that helps with conditions like constipation.

Fibre also helps you keep fuller and thus helps in losing weight. During the PCOS condition fiber helps to reduce the insulin resistance as it has a low GI index. It also helps in weight reduction and maintaining a good BMI for PCOS women.

Including good fats in your diet

It’s always a myth that fat increases your weight.Actually good fats are essential for your body and so should be included in your daily diet.It helps to keep you full and satisfied.

According to a survey a higher fat diet helps in reducing more weight than a lower-fat diet.

The food rich in good fats are Desi ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, cheese, etc

Eating Probiotic food.

Women suffering from PCOS have a lower amount of good bacteria in their gut. So adding probiotic like yogurt in your diet increases the good bacteria that aids in the digestion process.

Food containing probiotics are

1. Curd

2. Kefir

3. Miso

4. Pickles

5. Kimchi

Studies suggest that adding probiotic strains also aids in weight loss

Avoiding junk food and sugar

Junk food with high sugar and calories increases your blood sugar level and also makes you insulin resistance.

Studies show that when women with PCOS consumed food with high sugar, their blood sugar level was highly unstable.

Junk food contain refined carb and high sugar, so if you consume you will become obese.

Portion control while eating

Practice mindful eating. We all need a certain amount of calories to get going in our day to day life.

Women with PCOS suffer from eating disorders like binge eating and emotional eating. Don’t let this disorders to affect your health. Self-control is the key to fight these disorders. You can also connect with a wellness expert if you need help to control these disorders.

Getting a good night’s sleep and avoiding stress

Many women with PCOS suffer from insomnia during the week of their ovulation. As a result, they suffer from a variety of ailments like binge eating, tiredness and stress.

You can try a variety of remedies to get a good sleep.

1. Don’t take a heavy meal at night time.

2. Drink a warm glass of milk before sleep.

3. Don’t take any caffeinated drink before going to bed.

4. Switch off the lights and create a relaxing environment in your bedroom.

5. Keep yourself away from any electronic devices before going to bed.

6. Have a nice warm bath before going to bed.