When it comes to working out, more is more, right?
Too much exercise might actually wreak havoc on yourhormones.
But how would you even know if your hormones weren’t, in fact, ticking along perfectly?
Or, is that excess fat just not budging, no matter how manyHIITsessions you rack up on ClassPass?
The likelihood is that your hormones are out of sync, according to our experts.
Hormones are chemical messengers that keep our bodies in a happy state of equilibrium.
Stocksy / Design by Tiana Crispino
So what causes our internal communication system to go haywire?
Keep scrolling to learn exactly how working out can help balance your hormones.
Meet the Experts
Can Exercise Help Balance Hormones?
Stocksy / Design by Tiana Crispino
The PMS would almost always totally disappear," she says.
“Exercise has a powerful effect on balancing, suppressing, and increasing certain hormones.
“Leptin is another hormone, which, when too low, signals your body to store fat.
Stocksy / Design by Tiana Crispino
Your body produces leptin while you sleep, so bad sleeping patterns can drastically lower the levels.”
Stocksy / Design by Tiana Crispino
Which Hormones Are Impacted by Exercise?
Epinephrine/Norepinephrine
Epinephrine/Norepinephrine (catecholamines) responds to stress, both physical or psychological.
“Exercise triggers the brain (hypothalamus) to induce the adrenal glands to secrete these hormones.
These hormones play a role in how our bodies [metabolize] the foods we eat.
Epinephrine plays the main role in lipolytic activity (fat metabolism),” says Lee.
Insulin signals your body to store fat.
Excess cortisol leads to a raging appetite.
Estrogen
A wonderful hormone in the right amount, it makes conception andpregnancypossible.
It’s also a natural mood lifter.
However, estrogen works in sync with progesterone, and both hormones need to be in balance.
“Menopause symptoms are partly driven by the decline and imbalance of estrogen.
An easy way to remedy this is with exercise.
This can buffer the worst of menopause symptoms,” says Lee.
Human Growth Hormone
Quite simply one of the most powerful hormones.
It’s a fat burner, which forces your body to draw energy from your fat reserves first.
HGH is produced in bucket loads after HIIT (in particular), strength training and plyometrics.
Once induced, it plays a role in fat burn.
Intensive exercise can increase HGH,” explains Lee.
Testosterone
Even though testosterone is commonly associated with men, it’s vitally important for women too.
It builds muscle, burns fat, increases energy and sex drive, strengthens bones.
Increasing your serotonin levels can boost mood, appetite, digestion, memory, and sexual drive."
A HIIT class after a stressful day at work is probably the last thing you need.
A typical workout week needs to be structured correctly to impact all the hormones positively, Rivett tells me.
High-intensity training can be used to your advantage, increasing beneficial hormones.
“Types of exercises with different impact and intensity have shown to increase more of certain hormones.
People have reported sleeping better after a good walk throughout the day.”
“Know this: The right exercise will positively boost HGH, testosterone.
Both of these are lean-making and youth-boosting hormones.
It will balance progesterone, which is key to avoiding weight gain and energy drains.
High levels of progesterone will have you burning more calories at rest.
Fit and healthy people can more easily deal with elevated cortisol,” explains Rivett.
The Best Exercises For Hormonal Imbalance
The best exercises for hormonal imbalance depend on each case.
“I would first investigate if you are even experiencing ahormonal imbalancein the first place.
In these cases, losing weight can help improve fertility again.
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Boutcher SH.High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss.J Obes.
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Harvard Health Publishing.Testosteronewhat it does and doesn’t do.
Updated August 29, 2019.
