Many women practice yoga to reduce the symptoms of female health issues like endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and painful periods. Yoga has many benefits for your hormonal health.
To be honest, I never liked yoga because it seemed to be so boring and low-intense and I worried that I just wasted my time when doing such workouts. I wanted quick results. But little by little I started realizing the power of yoga practice. Yoga is good for everybody, even if you have adrenal fatigue or spine issues, you can still do yoga to improve your health. Of course, it’s better to attend a class with a certified instructor so you can be guided and supervised.
For me, the best thing about yoga is that it is so calm and relaxing that I can do it even when I am tired or not ready for intense training like HIIT. But at the same
_
So why yoga is so good for PCOS?
The first benefit of yoga is that it helps to calm your mind. Women suffering from PCOS should take special care to their emotional well-being as stress is one of the reasons for hormonal imbalance. By practicing yoga, women can reduce the symptoms of PCOS, as yoga teaches women how to manage their anger and to accept things, people, and situations as they are!
It is necessary to learn how to relax the mind and keep cortisol levels under control. Higher levels of cortisol and testosterone are responsible for weight gain and other unpleasant PCOS symptoms. So practicing yoga is one of the most effective ways to manage stress and reverse the imbalance. The conscious relaxation technique of Shavasana, often used in yoga, is really beneficial and should be included in your daily workout routine. As a result, regularly practicing yoga helps to minimize stress, anxiety, and tension.
Second, practicing yoga improves the functioning of the endocrine system. Different yoga poses help to slightly compress and decompress specific glands. These subtle movements improve and regulate secretions
For example, certain yoga poses target the pituitary gland, which is known as the “master gland” produces hormones that power other endocrine glands. The pituitary gland is also responsible for the secretion of growth hormones, which stimulate the thyroid gland and adrenal gland. Lastly, the pituitary gland releases endorphins, the “feel-good hormone,” that soothes the nervous system and decrease feelings of pain.
While practicing yoga, women can stimulate the thyroid gland through certain poses, movement, and breathing techniques. This stimulation helps to regulate the hormones produced there. When we think about yoga in terms of all our hormone-releasing glands, we can see how yoga is an effective tool to support the entire endocrine system.
Third, yoga is an amazing way to strengthen the body. Many people add yoga to their fitness routine to improve flexibility and balance. In fact, there are specific poses in yoga that are designed to increase strength and build muscle. People who do yoga
_
What are some additional hormonal benefits of yoga?
Improved sleep. Certain yoga poses stimulate the pineal gland, which secretes the hormone melatonin that regulates sleep patterns. Deep and high-quality sleep is a key part
Fight fatigue. Women with hormonal imbalance like adrenal fatigue or PCOS may experience constant fatigue. Plunging progesterone or depleted adrenal glands may be to blame. Practicing yoga, eating healthy foods and taking time to rest, may improve your condition and combat fatigue. You can find other interesting methods to beat constant tiredness in my post “Tired all the time? Or how to fight fatigue”.
Manage pain. Pain can be managed through yoga by detaching yourself from the psychological experience of pain. It can also reduce physical pain by stretching muscles and correcting posture. Additionally, yoga’s psychological benefits,
Reduce pelvic congestion. Yoga is great as it helps to improve lymphatic flow and reduce pelvic tension. Women with PCOS and endometriosis can really benefit from this.
Thwart thyroid symptoms. The thyroid controls your basal metabolic rate, growth, and cell processes while the parathyroid controls calcium and phosphate in the blood. Imbalances in your thyroid can cause depression, cold hands and feet, weight problems, and difficulty waking up in the morning. Yoga helps to regulate the thyroid and stave off these symptoms.
Improves metabolic markers. Yoga can also have a positive impact on insulin and cholesterol levels in women with PCOS. It was found to be very effective in improving glucose, lipids, and insulin resistance values among women with PCOS who practiced different varieties of yoga daily.
_
How do you perform hormonal yoga?
Hormonal yoga draws on various different styles of yoga. This type of yoga includes classic poses and breathing techniques while also incorporating a range of extra stretches and slow, drawn-out postures. The goal of hormonal yoga is to ease symptoms by relaxing the nervous system and supporting key areas of hormone production throughout the body.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of hormonal yoga is that it stimulates your pituitary gland, the thyroid
Beyond balancing adrenaline and cortisol, yoga improves melatonin levels after just three months of practice, which may help you to sleep more soundly and restoratively. One small but interesting study found that yoga helps women to balance hormones by correcting prolactin levels, levels of luteinizing hormone, and levels of follicle-stimulating hormone.
Most studies show that significant improvement requires 3 to 6 months of regular practice for 30-60 minutes per day, five days per week. But if you learn to really enjoy yoga, you won’t notice any resistance. I’m sure your body will demand these kinds of training.
When suffering from PCOS, you may want to avoid vigorous styles of yoga and focus only on calming, peaceful exercises (such as Hatha, Yin, or particular forms of Pranayama) as these three practices have a profound effect on our stress hormones due to their slow pace and relaxation techniques. Pranayama (
_
What are the best yoga poses for PCOS?
There are plenty of poses that can help women suffering from PCOS. Many teachers recommend poses such as the headstand, handstand, and shoulder stand are all beneficial for your thyroid, heart, hormones, and lungs. The headstand, in particular, is known for balancing hormones.
Forward bending poses such as the downward-facing dog, seated forward fold, and child’s pose help to alleviate stress, anxiety, and fatigue, as well as to rejuvenate your kidneys, thyroid, thymus, and pancreas. These poses also help to balance your hormones. Additionally, hip openers and wide-angle poses nourish your reproductive system.
Other amazing poses for PCOS are the Butterfly Pose (and variations), Bharadvaja’s Twist, Corpse Pose, Moving the Grinding Wheel, Cobra Pose, Rabbit Pose, Camel pose, and Child’s Pose.
And always keep in mind that relaxation is the key here. Be sure that you relax in each asana by coordinating it with your breathing. Take long and deep breaths as you perform each posture.
_
My favorite yoga workouts
I personally really like the channel Boho Beautiful and their pilates and yoga challenges. Their exercises seem simple but in fact really challenging. And they give results you can see.
Check out this yoga for PMS and pain relief:
But I’ve also found these videos are pretty good to start
Yoga for adrenal fatigue and thyroid
Quick yoga class for PCOS
Full Pelvic floor Yoga
Make sure you also improve your eating habits as healthy eating and exercising go hand in hand. If you want to reduce your PCOS symptoms and lose weight, download my free 7-day low-carb Meal Plan:
As a wrap-up:
Of course, yoga is not a magic cure for female health but with a proper diet and exercise, yoga can help you feel more at ease and slowly decrease the symptoms that plague women suffering from PCOS. Once you give yoga a try you will not regret it!
If possible, try to incorporate a daily practice of yoga. 30-60 minutes every day will nourish your body, and most will find excellent results for strength, flexibility, and a more balanced mindset. Ideally, try to practice for at least an hour a day. Focus on continually deepening your breath and channeling your inner ‘om’ right to your core. You will be fit, flexible, and supporting your hormones in no time.
In addition to practicing yoga to manage stress, be sure to maintain a good sleep pattern, exercise regularly, give yourself time to rest, and eat
However, I always encourage speaking with your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise program, such as yoga, to ensure that you are truly making the best decision for you and your unique body.
Please share this article with friends using social media links below so that they can also benefit from the information I provide and start healing their symptoms.
xo,
Jane
Leave a Reply