Exercises to help hormone balance - fitROSKY

 

Hormones are the most overlooked health topic but it is an important key factor which responsible for your healthy lifestyle, even a slight changes in hormone can make your daily life harder or may lead to certain health conditions.

Most of the people took help supplements or medicine to treat their hormone-related problems, such as stress, depression, sleep deprivation, weight gain and mood swings. But instead of taking supplements you can go with better way to balance your hormone that is physical training because it not only balance your hormone but also provides you strength, endurance, boost self-esteem and so on.

What is hormone?

Hormone is a chemical messenger which transported by intricate biological process to organ to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones are very powerful, a tiny amount is enough to cause big changes in your whole body.

Hormones are found in animal, plant and fungi. It is required for the development. 

Hormones are responsible for many activities, such as respiration, digestion, metabolism, sensory perception, sleep, excretion, lactation, movement, reproduction, mood changes, growth and development. 

Hormones are secreted by endocrine glands (are a special group of cells), such as pituitary, pineal, thymus, pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and testes. But in plant there is no specialized organs to secret hormones.

What can cause hormonal imbalance?

Hormones naturally fluctuate as aging, but there are some reasons that can cause hormonal imbalance include:

• Certain medications
• Chemotherapy 
• Tumours
• Tumors of endocrine gland 
• Stress
• Injury 
• Hormone therapy
• Overweight 
• Poor diet 
• Anabolic steroids
  

Some heath condition that may be triggered by hormonal imbalances, but these condition also lead to further hormonal imbalances:

• Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Throiditis
• Hypogonadism
• Hypothyroidism 
• Hypothyroidism
• Cushing syndome
• Addison's disease
• Hyperglycemia
• Solitary thyroid nodules
• Benign tumors and cyst
• Goiters
• Anorexia 
  

 But in female causes are differ than man:

• Premature menopause
• Menopause
• Puberty
• Menstruation
  
• Preganacy
• Breastfeeding
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• BCP (Birth Control Pills) 
  

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance

As i told you above that hormone plays and important role in your overall health. Therefore, as a result of hormonal imbalance there are broad range of sign and symptoms and these symptoms can depend on which hormones or gland are affected. 

Some common sign and symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Muscle weeknes
• Weight gain
• Sweating
• Muscle aches
• Sudden weight loss
• Swelling in joints
• Frequent urination 
• Constipation
• Increased appetite
• Increased thirst
• Low libido
• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Blurred vision
• Infertility
• Thinning of hair
• Dry skin
• Puffy face
• Increased or decreased heart rate
• Increased sensitivity to cold or heat 

Sign or symptoms in females

• Irregular periods
• Hirsutism
• Acne on face
• Hair loss
• Darkening of face
• Skin tags
• Vaginal dryness
• Pain during sex
• Night sweats

 Sign or symptoms in males

• Gynecomestia
• Erectile dysfunction
• Decrease in beard growth 
• Loss of muscle mass
• Hot flashes
• Loss of bone mass
• Breast tenderness

Hormones that affected by exercise

1. Insulin

Insulin is a peptide hormone which is produced by beta cells of the pancreas and considered as main anabolic hormone of the body. 

It help regulates the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and protein by increasing the absorption of glucose from the blood in to liver, fat, and skeletal muscles.  

Production and secretion of sugar by the liver is strongly inhibited by high concentration of insulin in the blood.

Decreased insulin results in diabetes mellitus. According to a study a single bout of exercise can increase insulin sensitivity for at least 16 h post exercise in healthy.

2. Cortisol

Cortisol is a steroid hormone and it is the main stress hormone of our body. Cortisol works with certain part of the brain to regulate your mood, motivation and fear. 

Cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands, present at the top of your kidneys. 

Cortisol plays an important role in many things for instance, it keeps inflammation down, regulates your blood pressure, increase your blood sugar, regulate your sleep.

3. Epinephrine and Norepinephrine 

Epinephrine and Norepinephrine hormones belongs to the group of compounds called catecholamines and acts as neurotransmitters. 

Epinephrine also known as adrenaline, while norepinephrine known as noradrenaline. 

Epinephrine responsible for your faster breathing, increased heart rate and blood flow, spiked blood sugar level and increased the strength and physical performance. 

Norepinephrine also increase the heart rate and blood sugar level like as epinephrine.

4. Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and also known as male hormone but it also found in female in low quantity. 

Testosterone plays an important role in development of testes, prostate gland and also responsible for secondary sexual characteristics, like increased muscle mass, bone mass, growth of body hair. It also influence your mood, behavior. Therefore, low level of testosterone can easily affect your health.

In male it is secreted by the testicles and in female by the ovaries but in a lesser extent. On an average males contains 7 to 8 times as great as in adult females.

5. Human growth hormone

HGH produced by the pituitary gland and promote the growth in children and adolescents. 

HGH also help regulate body fluids, body composition, sugar and fat metabolism, bone growth and heart function. 

6. Estrogen

Estrogen or oestrogen is a sex hormone, responsible for the development of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. It found in male and female both but female produce more of it.  

Estrogen produced by the ovaries, adrenal gland and fat tissues. It can help manage hot flashes, painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disorder, anxiety.

Exercise that help hormone balance

1. HIIT

High intensity interval training, exercise involves short bursts intense exercise alternated with low intensity recovery period.

HIIT exercise intervals are typically measured in a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio, for more advanced HIIT it is
1:1.

Duration range of HIIT workout can be 10 minute to 30 minute.

Best HIIT Exercise:

• Push up

• Mountain climber

• Burpees

• Russian twist

• Jumping Jack

• Jump Squat

• High Knees

• Sprints

• Skipping

Resistance or strength training

1. Deadlift

It is one of the best and formost compound exercise for back muscles.
Deadlift can add strength and muscle mass to the back.

How to do

Stand straight with feet shoulder-apart. bent your legs at the knees and keep your back or spine in a  straight line and hold the rod. keep your shoulder down, now fully extend your legs and pull the bar up, it should end up standing straight with the barbell held at your waist line.

Set- 3
Rep- 8-10
Rest- 60 secs

2. Lat Pull down

In this exercise cable keeps the tension on the back muscles.

How to do

Set on the platform of the machine and place your thighs under the pad. now grab the bar handle wider then your shoulder width. keep your torso upright, core tight. now pull the bar down toward your chest. hold for a sec and then return to the starting position.

Set- 3
Rep- 10-12
Rest- 60 secs

3. Weighted squat

Weighted squat is one of the best exercise to gain size of your overall lower-body, it mainly target your Quads, glutes. 

How to do

Stand straight and keep some distance between legs, put the loaded bar on your traps muscles and hold the bar with an overhand grip. now shift your weight on your heels not on toes and begin to lower into squat (keep your head and spine in normal position), keep your leg stable and knee should be as close to 90 degree and drive through your heels to back in standing position. repeat 

Set 4
Reps 10-12
Rest 60 secs

 

4. Leg Press

Leg press is a compound exercise which means it train more than one muscle, but it mainly target your quad muscles and plays an important role in making bigger thighs. 

How to do

Sit down at the leg press machine and put your back on back rest and head as well on head rest, now place your both foot on footplate about hip-width apart, pressure should be feel on your heels. 

When you are about to press hold the handles with your hand, tight the core and push the footplate away to your body with your heels (always remember that never lock your knees) now return to the starting position and repeat.

Set 4
Reps 10-12
Rest 60 secs

5. Bench press

One of the most popular and effective exercise for chest. it targets the chest, shoulder and triceps. 

How to do

Lie down on your back on the flat bench and grab the bar wider than your shoulder width. now bring the bar down toward the chest as your breath in, pause here for a couple of secs and push the bar toward the ceiling slowly as you breath out.

Set - 4

Rep- 10-12

Rest- 60 secs

 

6.  Cable crossover

Cable cross-over is a isolation move that targets the chest muscles. it gives the definition of your chest muscles.

How to do 

First of all set the handles of the pulley at the highest level now stand in the center of the machine. keep your back straight, spine neutral and bend your torso slightly forward. Now pull both the handles down with bend elbow, squeeze your chest and hold for a sec and return to the starting position.

Set- 4 

Rep- 10-12

Rest- 60secs. 

Other ways to balance your hormone 

There are some other ways to balance your hormone, such as get enough protein, maintain healthy weight, maintain your gut health, cut down your sugar intake, do yoga, eat healthy fat, get enough sleep.

The bottom line

So, yes exercise help to balance your body's hormone and also help increase strength, endurance, increased muscle mass and bone density.

Also read: Does bodyweight exercise increase testosterone level?

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