Regular physical activity is beneficial for people who havepolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).Consistent exercise helps with weight management, improves mood, canhelp with fertility, and lowers disease risk, along with numerous other health benefits.
Sometimes, people with PCOS avoid exercising or trying new activities out of fear. They may feel their size limits their ability to do certain exercises, or they may feel too out of shape. Body image issues can hold people back, as some don’t want to be seen exercising.But fear should not outweigh the benefits of moving your body.
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If you’reready to start movingyour body for the enjoyment and health benefits or if you’re already a regular exerciser and want to push your body more, here are some great, fun exercises for people with PCOS to do.
How Exercise Leads to Better Health in PCOS
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend Americans get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity in addition to two days of resistance training each week forweight management.These guidelines were affirmed in evidence-based guidelines for the management of PCOS.
As a general goal, aim for 30 minutes of activity each day. But relax—it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Two 15-minute bouts of physical activity equal the same amount as doing the activity for one 30-minute stretch.
The same is true for three 10-minute bouts of brief activity. Just be sure to get your heart rate up and maintained at 64% to 76% of your maximum rate.
Take It in Stride
Walking is one of the best activities for PCOS because it can be done anywhere and only requires walking shoes.If you don’t enjoy the solitude of walking alone, turn on music or ask a friend to join you.
Pump It Up
Not sure where to start? Set up a session with one of the trainers at your gym for an introductory instruction session (some gyms will happily do this free of charge as part of your membership).
In addition, consider meeting with a trainer every month or so to change up your routine. The popular Les Mills Bodypump is a class offered at most gyms across the U.S. and includes an hour of group weight training to music that works the whole body.
Get Wet
Want more of a challenge? Try stand-up paddleboarding, also known as SUP. This outdoor water sport tightens and tones the whole body while building balance. Rowing, kayaking, and canoeing work the upper body and core muscles and are also great ways to stay fit in the water.
Take a Swing
The Best Exercises for PCOS
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kite C, Lahart IM, Afzal I, et al.Exercise, or exercise and diet for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Syst Rev. 2019;8(1):51. doi:10.1186/s13643-019-0962-3
Stepto NK, Patten RK, Tassone EC, et al.Exercise recommendations for women with polycystic ovary syndrome: is the evidence enough?.Sports Med. 2019;49(8):1143-1157. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01133-6
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.How much physical activity do adults need?.
Teede HJ, Misso ML, Costello MF, et al.Recommendations from the international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome.Hum Reprod. 2018;33(9):1602–1618. doi:10.1093/humrep/dey256
Jakicic JM, Kraus WE, Powell KE, et al.Association between bout duration of physical activity and health: systematic review.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(6):1213-1219. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001933
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Target heart rate and estimated maximum heart rate.
Pericleous P, Stephanides S.Can resistance training improve the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome?.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018;4(1):e000372. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000372
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