Dear ladies, exercise regularly to balance your hormones!

Are you a couch potato? Then, this is a blog for you! You would be shocked to know that every second woman in India doesn’t get physical activity, which puts them at an increased risk of lifestyle diseases.

While most women know that they should exercise and it is good for their health, there is always some other engagement/excuse that takes priority over their fitness goal. In this blog, we’re going to tell you how exercise can benefit you more than just helping you fit in your favorite jeans, get glowing skin and healthy hair so that you feel more ‘charged up’ and disciplined towards your fitness regime. Regular exercise balances your hormonal levels and saves you from a myriad of health problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disorders, diabetes, and depression.

Here’s what each hormone does to your body and how exercise can improve its performance:

• Irisin is your ‘workout buddy’

Commonly known as ‘exercise hormone’, irisin burns fat and prevents fat cell formation in your body. It is released by your muscles when you work out and directly acts on key regulatory cells that control the breakdown and formation of bone. Single sessions of both intense endurance exercise and strength training can increase irisin levels.

• Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone

It regulates your menstrual cycle and physical features. But too much of estrogen is bad for your health. It may put you at the risk of breast cancer. Exercise helps to reverse this process and lowers the production of estrogen. Any physical activity done regularly for half an hour can balance this hormone level in your body and make you ‘healthy’.

• Testosterone, it’s not just for men

It is a male sex hormone. However, it is also produced in female bodies in a lesser amount. It helps to grow and repair muscles, contributes to bone strengthening, boosts sex drive and reduces excess belly fat. You can balance the level of this hormone in your body by doing resistance training 2-3 times a week, 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

• Cortisol, the stress hormone

You can blame this hormone for all those ‘stressful’ times you have experienced. However, it does ‘good’ to your body too. It regulates your blood pressure, controls your sleep/wake cycle, and manages how your body uses carbs, fats, and proteins. Therefore, maintaining a balance for cortisol is really important. Low-intensity exercises can help you regulate cortisol balance in your body.

These are just to name a few – there are thousands of other benefits of doing regular exercise. All you need to do is get into a regular physical routine. Giving even 10-minutes a day to physical activity is a good start, especially for working women and moms who have additional responsibilities of taking care of home, babies, and work.

Quick exercise tips for women

• Instead of taking car, take short walks to the grocery store
• Play actively with children
• Listen to your favorite music or radio and dance around the house
• Organize activities like cycling around the neighborhoods, swimming, or playing backyard cricket on the weekends
• Don’t fall victim to ‘all or nothing’ mentality. If you can only find the time for 1 or 2 exercise sessions per week at the moment, congratulate yourself on this achievement.