Exercise and PCOS

Physical activity is an essential key to managing PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), increasing fertility, and a healthy life.

Our bodies were made to move. For thousands of years, human beings were nomadic, following or seeking out the food supply. Once we learned how to create our food supply, we were able to stay in one place. As time passed, we began to enjoy the benefits of advancing technologies, which provided us with more leisure time. We used our minds more and more, while using our bodies less and less.

Today we find ourselves in a modern life that actually demands very little of us physically. Although our bodies are still hard-wired for movement, most of us no longer honor the very real need of the "natural self" to get up and move about.

Appreciating your body -- for its miraculous ability to carry out millions of intricate functions without conscious direction, for its continual pursuit of equilibrium, for its complex adaptive ability -- is the first step on the road to total fitness. Lay aside your judgments, fears, expectations and disappointments in favor of a positive framework that sets the stage for a lasting and consistent exercise program.

Why Women with PCOS Should Exercise

A number of studies have demonstrated that women with PCOS or insulin resistance can greatly benefit from regular exercise.

For example, a study conducted at the University of Adelaide in Australia showed that a six month program of diet and exercise helped 18 overweight PCOS women normalize their hormones.(1) They experienced an 11% reduction in central fat, 71% improvement in insulin sensitivity, 33% fall in insulin levels, and a 39% reduction in LH (luteinizing hormone) levels. The women in this study achieved surprising results with a combination of diet and exercise in just six months. This study is relevant because insulin resistance and chronically high insulin and LH are reasons why PCOS women don't ovulate and why they have a number of other troubling symptoms.

Exercise Necessary for Loss of Belly Fat

Exercise is necessary for the loss of belly fat in diabetic women according to a new study from Syracuse University.(2) Thirty-three women were divided into "diet only" and "diet plus exercise" groups. Since diabetic women have metabolic problems similar to PCOS women, the study results are relevant.

Either diet alone, or diet plus exercise, caused an average weight loss of 9.9 lbs in three months. However, only the diet plus exercise group had a loss of visceral fat, which is the belly fat that surrounds internal organs.

This study suggests that you can lose weight with diet alone. But if you also want to significantly lose abdominal fat, you'll want to add regular exercise to your diet program.

Reduction of Homocysteine

Women with PCOS tend to have elevated homocysteine, especially those who are taking metformin (Glucophage). Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood. A normal amount is okay -- but an elevated level means that your metabolic processes are not working properly. Elevated homocysteine is associated with coronary artery disease, heart attack, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, cognitive impairment, and cervical cancer.

A recent study at the University of Warwick in England has provided the first evidence that regular exercise significantly lowers homocysteine in the blood of young overweight women with PCOS.(3) In this study, a group of women who exercised for six months had a significant drop in their homocysteine levels. They also reduced their waist-to-hip ratio, meaning that their bellies got smaller. In contrast, there was no change in the non-exercising group.

Insulin Resistance and Exercise

Insulin resistance is a primary cause of PCOS and infertility. Does exercise reduce insulin resistance?

A very interesting study from Otago University in New Zealand may provide the answer.(4) Two groups of men and women were put on one of two dietary and exercise programs for four months.

The "modest" group was given a diet commonly recommended by health authorities. They were required to cut their cholesterol intake and increase their fiber intake. Their diet consisted of low-glycemic foods, fish, nuts, seeds, grains, pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables, legumes and low-fat dairy products. This is the type of diet your doctor might recommend. The participants were also required to exercise for 30 minutes five times a week. No instructions were given on how hard to exercise.

The "intense" group was given a diet similar to the "modest" group, although their fiber intake was somewhat higher and the total fat intake was somewhat lower. In addition, the exercise requirement was different. The "intense" group was asked to exercise for at least 20 minutes five times a week at 80-90% of the maximum heart rate for their age. In other words, they were requested to exercise quite hard for 20 minutes.

After 4 months, only the "intense" group had a significant reduction in their insulin resistance (a 23% drop vs. a 9% drop for the "modest" group). Also, their aerobic fitness increased 11% vs. a 1% increase for the "modest" group.

This study demonstrated that healthier diet recommendations combined with a greater intensity of exercise are effective in reducing insulin resistance. This study is especially relevant for lean PCOS women who have insulin resistance. It's well know that insulin resistance can be reduced by losing a lot of weight. But if you're not overweight and have insulin resistance -- what can you do? This study suggests that a better diet and regular exercise at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate will improve your sensitivity to insulin and thus reduce your PCOS symptoms.

Can You Get Better by Exercise Alone?

Even if you don't follow our healthy PCOS diet at all, you can still get some benefit from regular exercise. (Of course, we strongly recommend that you do both!).

A small study conducted at the University of Florida showed that non-dieting sedentary adults who got a few hours of exercise each week and did not lose weight still were able to significantly improve their glucose and fat metabolism.(5)

And, according to a new study of premenopausal women by researchers at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, moderate exercise without dieting caused a reduction in total body fat, belly fat and insulin resistance.(6) However, these women did not lose any weight. So, with moderate exercise alone, you may not lose much weight, but you will improve your body fat percentage and reduce insulin resistance.

Regular exercise provides numerous health benefits, including improvement in some PCOS symptoms such as insulin resistance. We also know that a healthy diet provides additional numerous benefits. If you combine a healthy diet with a regular exercise program, you will accelerate your progress towards managing PCOS, improving fertility, and being more vital and healthy.

More information about exercise is available in The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility ebook.

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