Taking Time to Relax

In his book, "In Pursuit of Fertility," Robert R. Franklin, MD stated, "Over the years, I have observed that women with PCO are in high gear most of the time -- their minds are constantly racing ninety miles an hour" (1995). When I posted this quote on one of the lists that I am one, several women wrote back that they agreed with this doctor's assessment. They felt that their minds were racing ninety miles a minute. 

The question becomes, how do we learn to slow our minds down to decrease the amount of stress we have placed on ourselves? According to Franklin, slowing down is something that the PCO patient must do since excessive stress can lead to excess androgen production. Learning to slow down is not easy but it can be done. This article gives several different ideas on how to slow down and and reduce the amount of stress in our lives. 

One way to slow down is taking time each day to exercise. In addition to helping the woman reduce stress, exercise also has the added benefit of reducing the amount of insulin circulating in our blood by creating additional receptors on the cell walls of muscles. Since many women with PCOS have problems with their weight, walking is an easy way to start taking time to slow down and focus on our bodies. It is non-jarring and easy on the joints,  and can be done just about any where. All you really need to get started is a comfortable pair of walking or running shoes. If you aren't used to walking, start slowly. Walk for five to ten minutes, for half a block or block, or for however long you feel comfortable with. Slowly increase your time and distance as your body becomes more accustomed to exercise. 

Yoga is another way to calm yourself while getting the benefits of exercise. The slow movements and poses of yoga help to tone the body and increase flexibility while learning to focus on how the body feels. There are several good tapes out there for beginners. One of my favorites comes from Living Arts and is called Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss.  The good thing about this tape is that the instructor has three women with her who have very different body shapes and sizes. They show not only full yoga poses but also modified poses for a variety of different levels of fitness. Yoga for Round Bodies is also a very good tape for larger women. 

There are other ways to relax besides exercise. Treat yourself to a professional massage. It is time that you can devote to relaxing. The cost of your massage will depend on what area of the country you live in and how long the massage lasts. You can also take time to do an activity you enjoy. So many times we in our hectic schedules we forget that there are many things that we enjoy doing such as needlepoint, gardening, or just sitting and enjoying a good piece of music or a good movie. Apply a facial then soak in the tub with candles lit, a nice cold drink on hand,  and possibly a good book. 

These are just a few ideas on how to relax and reduce stress that may be affecting us. It is very important that PCOS patients take some much needed time and relax. It never hurts to pamper yourself once in a while.  

References:

References

Franklin, Robert R. and Brockman, Dorothy Kay. In Pursite of Fertility: A Fertility Expert Tells You How to Get Pregnant. 2nd Edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1995:131-140