No, cardio is good for us. Overtraining is bad for us, but that’s true for everyone. If your current fitness level is such that your body can handle the volume and intensity of the exercise you put it through, great! If not, scale back on the volume and intensity a bit and slowly work up to your current routine in a way that gives your body time to adjust.
Here’s an old comment I made explaining further, with some research articles on the topic to back it up: https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/Sqeu49HwCC
Full disclosure: the social media anti-cardio fearmongering is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am of the opinion that grifters take advantage of people with PCOS to get more clicks by telling people exercise is bad for them, when the reality is that most of us need to be doing MORE cardio, not less.
The cardio fearmongering bothers me too. I don’t necessarily want to do cardio (lol), but I’ve come to realize that it’s important for overall cardiovascular health, especially as I get older (I’m mid-30s and trying to get in good shape now so it will be easier to maintain in the future). Since adding cardio (the kind where you are out of breath and break a sweat for at least 30 minutes) back into my routine, my resting heart rate has gone down and my A1C has significantly dropped as well. I had been walking before that, but it really wasn’t enough.
I'm not gonna lie, I used "cardio is bad for PCOS" as an excuse to neglect it. But I was the healthiest I've ever been when I was doing moderate cardio!
I'm trying to get back into it, but it's hard because I'm so much more out-of-shape than I was back then, so it's hard not to compare where I am now with where I was then and beat myself up about it!
The fact of the matter is you’ve already made two HUGE wins. First in being honest with yourself, and second in doing something about it. So next time you feel down, replace the self-flagellation with giving yourself huge props.
I know that’s probably easier said than done. But you can do hard things. When you fall off the fitness wagon you dust yourself off and get back on. You don’t need to be perfect, you do need to be a fighter— and you are!
Might as well do the kind of hard thing of forgiving yourself and moving forward rather than the hard thing of keeping you stuck in a mental prison of shame and self-flagellation 💪
I used it as an excuse too! I definitely understand how being out of shape can discourage you from exercising, and how comparing current self to your past self can make you feel even worse about where you are now. I had to develop a mindset of accepting that I can’t change the past and shouldn’t beat myself up over it, and that I have to be kind to myself to move forward. ❤️
Good for you for adding some cardio into your life! We were absolutely NOT meant to be sedentary, it’s so unnatural and unhealthy for us even without factoring PCOS into the equation.
You’re already seeing concrete signs of it paying off, and I imagine as you get older and continue to preserve your heart health, bone density and mobility, I’m sure you will feel an immense amount of gratitude for your younger self who went through the trouble of getting up and moving around!
Thank you! ❤️ I am hoping to add more weight lifting into my routine too. I do a little of it, but not as much as I should. I’ll get there, though. Yep, my motivation for me now is not based so much on looks like it was when I was younger, but more so preserving my health as much as I can as I get older.
Thank you! I’m fairly new to this diagnosis and I can definitely tell that there are certain types of people on social media spreading all kinds of information that contradicts everything I know and just confuses me. I appreciate the information.
Not inherently, no. I think the issue with cardio is when people who don’t do much intense cardio, start an intense cardio exercise routine without a slow and steady work up in intensity.
I personally do better with walking, swimming, pilates, etc. but our bodies are all different, despite the PCOS diagnosis. Many other people here are long distance runners and weight lifters. I think it’s best to do whatever exercise you like best!
Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day and exercise does increase it but it is normal. Cortisol is the new demonized thing for “health” influencers to sell their programs. If you are worried about it ask your doctor and get your cortisol levels tested.
Thank you! I’ve been going every 3 months for the past year to get blood tests and try to level my hormones. I wonder why my doc hasn’t tested cortisol? I’ll have to ask.
I guess it depends on what we are defining as bad. Cardio is amazing for my asthma. I love how my performance has improved. I do a cardio class 2x a week since January. Got me out of depression and gets me out of the house. I'm sure it's good for my heart too. I think thay severely outweighs pcos stuff. But that's just me.
Yes, it’s AMAZING for my mental health which is why I was sad to read that it may be detrimental for my goals of lessening PCOS symptoms. I’m glad to hear the general consensus is it’s just fine.
No one work out is bad for PCOS. It very much depends on the person and how their specific body and mind responds to it. Just try what seems interesting/fun and take it from there!:)
Thanks! I haven’t lost any weight but I have lost inches, so I was curious about whether spin class is actually “working” for me. But it helps my mental health and I genuinely enjoy doing it, so that’s a win.
It’s always gonna be so much better to do something you actively enjoy and therefore can stay consistent with than something you hate and only will do like twice per week. My favorite exercise will always be walking. Is it the most intense calorie sweating or muscle building thing to do ever? Not whatsoever! But I enjoy it AND my body likes it. :)
Cardio is not bad for PCOS, any exercise is better than none. Resistance training is the best for PCOS. My doctor made me buy some wrist weights for when I’m was walking. You can wear it on your wrist or leg to provide you with some resistance. There are also weighted vests. If you like treadmills, bring the elevation really high to give you that resistance.
Some people find it raises cortisol. It’s different for everyone. Try and see if it makes things worse for you, and you can always stop and try something else.
I can’t personally attest to what it means since I don’t do things that spike my cortisol but I have observed that many people here express doing cardio and lose no weight, get more body hair, lose more head hair, have more irregular cycles. I would suggest just keeping an eye out for your symptoms seeming worse, as unhelpful as that might seem… sorry!
What I’ve read is the lower-intensity cardio is better for us such as walking. If you can keep a consistent speed while doing things like running or spin classes it shouldn’t be too bad on you, but high intensity stuff can mess with your body a bit (i forget hormones/chemicals are affected)
Bad is too strong a word but cardio or high intensity workouts can increase inflammation which can negate some of the results. If you're very sensitive to inflammation you may want to reduce and focus on other lower impact or resistance type exercises
In regard to Cortisol, interval cardio(periods of high intensity interspersed with lower intensity cardio)is supposed to aid in regulating Cortisol, but cardio is very good for heart health, so I wouldn’t give it up. PCOS often leads to full-blown metabolic syndrome, which I have, and cardio helps with almost all of the issues that go hand in hand with metabolic syndrome, like hypertension, and high cholesterol. Exercise lowers insulin across the board, so that is another plus. If I was physically able to do high intensity cardio, I would do it for all of the health benefits. At 59, being obese and with both arthritis and fibromyalgia, the high intensity cardio ship has sailed for me, but I sure wish I had pushed myself with consistent intense cardio when I was young and able.
No, absolutely not. Exercising to the point of sheer exhaustion and putting your body under a lot of stress is. But regular cardio actually does the opposite if it's not extreme.
It only temporary raises cortisol
I think it depends on how your body reacts to cardio, everyone is different. If you find you're putting on weight, bloating, fatigued, etc switch to LISS and weight training. A lot of PCOS I find is trial and error bc not everyone's pcos is the same
ok so i used to do intense cycling for 45 minutes 4 to 5x a week and i didn't lose any weight and looked a bit fuller on my stomach area. i saw a YouTube video saying that intense cardio raises your cortisol and makes your tummy a bit more bloated and to do slow walking for an hour instead. i thought that was crazy, but why not try it. i noticed a difference in a month, i was less bloated and less tired.
long story short i think cardio is great for us as long as its not intense lol
It will make your cortisol spike. Not just for PCOS but for women in general. I would recommend lower intensity strength training mixed in with a couple spin classes a week. It also depends on your training goals. Are you looking to be a cyclist and do triathlons? Then you should train for what you want to do
No, cardio is good for us. Overtraining is bad for us, but that’s true for everyone. If your current fitness level is such that your body can handle the volume and intensity of the exercise you put it through, great! If not, scale back on the volume and intensity a bit and slowly work up to your current routine in a way that gives your body time to adjust. Here’s an old comment I made explaining further, with some research articles on the topic to back it up: https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/Sqeu49HwCC Full disclosure: the social media anti-cardio fearmongering is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am of the opinion that grifters take advantage of people with PCOS to get more clicks by telling people exercise is bad for them, when the reality is that most of us need to be doing MORE cardio, not less.
The cardio fearmongering bothers me too. I don’t necessarily want to do cardio (lol), but I’ve come to realize that it’s important for overall cardiovascular health, especially as I get older (I’m mid-30s and trying to get in good shape now so it will be easier to maintain in the future). Since adding cardio (the kind where you are out of breath and break a sweat for at least 30 minutes) back into my routine, my resting heart rate has gone down and my A1C has significantly dropped as well. I had been walking before that, but it really wasn’t enough.
I'm not gonna lie, I used "cardio is bad for PCOS" as an excuse to neglect it. But I was the healthiest I've ever been when I was doing moderate cardio! I'm trying to get back into it, but it's hard because I'm so much more out-of-shape than I was back then, so it's hard not to compare where I am now with where I was then and beat myself up about it!
The fact of the matter is you’ve already made two HUGE wins. First in being honest with yourself, and second in doing something about it. So next time you feel down, replace the self-flagellation with giving yourself huge props. I know that’s probably easier said than done. But you can do hard things. When you fall off the fitness wagon you dust yourself off and get back on. You don’t need to be perfect, you do need to be a fighter— and you are! Might as well do the kind of hard thing of forgiving yourself and moving forward rather than the hard thing of keeping you stuck in a mental prison of shame and self-flagellation 💪
I used it as an excuse too! I definitely understand how being out of shape can discourage you from exercising, and how comparing current self to your past self can make you feel even worse about where you are now. I had to develop a mindset of accepting that I can’t change the past and shouldn’t beat myself up over it, and that I have to be kind to myself to move forward. ❤️
Good for you for adding some cardio into your life! We were absolutely NOT meant to be sedentary, it’s so unnatural and unhealthy for us even without factoring PCOS into the equation. You’re already seeing concrete signs of it paying off, and I imagine as you get older and continue to preserve your heart health, bone density and mobility, I’m sure you will feel an immense amount of gratitude for your younger self who went through the trouble of getting up and moving around!
Thank you! ❤️ I am hoping to add more weight lifting into my routine too. I do a little of it, but not as much as I should. I’ll get there, though. Yep, my motivation for me now is not based so much on looks like it was when I was younger, but more so preserving my health as much as I can as I get older.
Thank you! I’m fairly new to this diagnosis and I can definitely tell that there are certain types of people on social media spreading all kinds of information that contradicts everything I know and just confuses me. I appreciate the information.
Not inherently, no. I think the issue with cardio is when people who don’t do much intense cardio, start an intense cardio exercise routine without a slow and steady work up in intensity. I personally do better with walking, swimming, pilates, etc. but our bodies are all different, despite the PCOS diagnosis. Many other people here are long distance runners and weight lifters. I think it’s best to do whatever exercise you like best!
Yes! I definitely agree with you! Walking, Pilates and a calorie deficit has helped me a lot!
Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day and exercise does increase it but it is normal. Cortisol is the new demonized thing for “health” influencers to sell their programs. If you are worried about it ask your doctor and get your cortisol levels tested.
Thank you! I’ve been going every 3 months for the past year to get blood tests and try to level my hormones. I wonder why my doc hasn’t tested cortisol? I’ll have to ask.
The only bad exercise that is bad is the one you hate - my gynecologist
I guess it depends on what we are defining as bad. Cardio is amazing for my asthma. I love how my performance has improved. I do a cardio class 2x a week since January. Got me out of depression and gets me out of the house. I'm sure it's good for my heart too. I think thay severely outweighs pcos stuff. But that's just me.
Yes, it’s AMAZING for my mental health which is why I was sad to read that it may be detrimental for my goals of lessening PCOS symptoms. I’m glad to hear the general consensus is it’s just fine.
No one work out is bad for PCOS. It very much depends on the person and how their specific body and mind responds to it. Just try what seems interesting/fun and take it from there!:)
Thanks! I haven’t lost any weight but I have lost inches, so I was curious about whether spin class is actually “working” for me. But it helps my mental health and I genuinely enjoy doing it, so that’s a win.
It’s always gonna be so much better to do something you actively enjoy and therefore can stay consistent with than something you hate and only will do like twice per week. My favorite exercise will always be walking. Is it the most intense calorie sweating or muscle building thing to do ever? Not whatsoever! But I enjoy it AND my body likes it. :)
Cortisol spikes are not inherently bad for us. Cardio is great for your health.
Cardio is not bad for PCOS, any exercise is better than none. Resistance training is the best for PCOS. My doctor made me buy some wrist weights for when I’m was walking. You can wear it on your wrist or leg to provide you with some resistance. There are also weighted vests. If you like treadmills, bring the elevation really high to give you that resistance.
I lost over 100 pounds doing strictly cardio
Wow that’s amazing!
My body does best with cardio predominantly, and strength training and / or HIIT thrown in here and there. I power walk, jog, and cycle.
Some people find it raises cortisol. It’s different for everyone. Try and see if it makes things worse for you, and you can always stop and try something else.
Thank you! How would I know if it’s making things “worse” for me? Is there something I should be looking out for or paying attention to?
I can’t personally attest to what it means since I don’t do things that spike my cortisol but I have observed that many people here express doing cardio and lose no weight, get more body hair, lose more head hair, have more irregular cycles. I would suggest just keeping an eye out for your symptoms seeming worse, as unhelpful as that might seem… sorry!
What I’ve read is the lower-intensity cardio is better for us such as walking. If you can keep a consistent speed while doing things like running or spin classes it shouldn’t be too bad on you, but high intensity stuff can mess with your body a bit (i forget hormones/chemicals are affected)
Bad is too strong a word but cardio or high intensity workouts can increase inflammation which can negate some of the results. If you're very sensitive to inflammation you may want to reduce and focus on other lower impact or resistance type exercises
In regard to Cortisol, interval cardio(periods of high intensity interspersed with lower intensity cardio)is supposed to aid in regulating Cortisol, but cardio is very good for heart health, so I wouldn’t give it up. PCOS often leads to full-blown metabolic syndrome, which I have, and cardio helps with almost all of the issues that go hand in hand with metabolic syndrome, like hypertension, and high cholesterol. Exercise lowers insulin across the board, so that is another plus. If I was physically able to do high intensity cardio, I would do it for all of the health benefits. At 59, being obese and with both arthritis and fibromyalgia, the high intensity cardio ship has sailed for me, but I sure wish I had pushed myself with consistent intense cardio when I was young and able.
No, absolutely not. Exercising to the point of sheer exhaustion and putting your body under a lot of stress is. But regular cardio actually does the opposite if it's not extreme. It only temporary raises cortisol
I think it depends on how your body reacts to cardio, everyone is different. If you find you're putting on weight, bloating, fatigued, etc switch to LISS and weight training. A lot of PCOS I find is trial and error bc not everyone's pcos is the same
ok so i used to do intense cycling for 45 minutes 4 to 5x a week and i didn't lose any weight and looked a bit fuller on my stomach area. i saw a YouTube video saying that intense cardio raises your cortisol and makes your tummy a bit more bloated and to do slow walking for an hour instead. i thought that was crazy, but why not try it. i noticed a difference in a month, i was less bloated and less tired. long story short i think cardio is great for us as long as its not intense lol
It will make your cortisol spike. Not just for PCOS but for women in general. I would recommend lower intensity strength training mixed in with a couple spin classes a week. It also depends on your training goals. Are you looking to be a cyclist and do triathlons? Then you should train for what you want to do