Can Exercise Really “Balance” Hormones? What Research Really Says
What does “hormonal balance” actually mean?
Hormones are chemical messengers. They help regulate everything from blood sugar and energy use to ovulation, menstrual cycles, sleep and the response to stress.
But hormones are not one system with a single “balance” setting. Oestrogen, progesterone, insulin, testosterone and cortisol all have different jobs. Their levels also naturally change with meals, exercise, stress, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and age.
Exercise can influence this wider hormonal environment. What it cannot do is identify which hormone you supposedly have “too much” or “too little” of and automatically correct it.
For simplicity, we'll focus on insulin, oestrogen, progesterone, prolactin and cortisol. Hormonal regulation is far more complex and also involves hormones such as FSH, LH and thyroid hormones, but exploring every pathway would make this article far longer than most people would realistically read.
Insulin matters beyond diabetes
Insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it can be used for energy. You can see this in ordinary life: after eating, insulin helps your body deal with the rise in blood glucose. When you walk, cycle or use your muscles, those muscles become better able to take up glucose.
This matters to female health because insulin also interacts with the ovaries. In women with insulin resistance—particularly some women with PCOS—higher insulin levels can encourage the ovaries to produce more androgens, such as testosterone. This may interfere with follicle development and regular ovulation.
Regular aerobic and resistance exercise can improve insulin sensitivity. It may therefore reduce one factor contributing to ovarian disruption. This does not mean exercise will restore ovulation for every woman with PCOS, but it explains why insulin is relevant to reproductive health even without diabetes.
The 2023 international PCOS guideline recommends regular physical activity for its metabolic and wider health benefits, while noting that no single form of exercise has proved best for all women with PCOS.
What about oestrogen and progesterone?
Oestrogen and progesterone help regulate the menstrual cycle, ovulation and the uterine lining. They also affect bone, cardiovascular and vaginal health.
Their production is not isolated from the rest of the body. It can be influenced by:
Ovarian function and age
Whether ovulation occurs
Energy availability and nutrition
Insulin sensitivity and metabolic health
Body composition
Liver and gut metabolism
Stress, sleep, illness and medication
For example, progesterone is mainly produced after ovulation. Rather than asking whether a workout can “boost progesterone,” it is more accurate to ask whether a woman’s overall lifestyle supports—or disrupts—the processes needed for ovulation.
Physical activity may support some of these surrounding processes. It can improve metabolic health, encourage gut motility, support sleep and help maintain cardiovascular fitness. Therefore, an active and a sedentary lifestyle are not hormonally equivalent.
However, this influence is indirect and individual. A 2024 systematic review did not find a significant overall effect of exercise on oestrogen or progesterone in normally menstruating women. Current evidence does not show that a particular workout can reliably “raise progesterone,” “flush out excess oestrogen” or correct so-called oestrogen dominance.
Can exercise disrupt hormones?
Yes. More exercise is not always better.
The body needs enough energy not only for a workout, but also for the brain, heart, immune system, temperature regulation and reproductive function. Imagine your daily energy supply as a household budget: if exercise repeatedly uses too much of it and too little remains for essential functions, the body begins cutting back.
When exercise demand, food intake and recovery are poorly matched, the brain may reduce the hormonal signals sent to the ovaries. This can contribute to:
Delayed or absent ovulation
Irregular or missing periods
Lower oestrogen exposure
Reduced progesterone because ovulation has been disrupted
Poorer bone health
This is known as low energy availability and is not limited to elite athletes. A demanding exercise routine combined with dieting, everyday stress and inadequate recovery may also create a problem. The IOC consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport identifies reproductive disruption as one possible consequence.
If periods become irregular or disappear during intensive training, this should not be treated as evidence that the exercise programme is “working.”
Does exercise lower cortisol?
Cortisol is commonly called the stress hormone, but it is not inherently harmful—just as not all stress is harmful. It helps the body make energy available when physical or psychological demands increase.
A challenging workout may temporarily raise cortisol—just as climbing several flights of stairs raises your heart rate. This is a normal response, not proof of hormonal damage.
Regular, manageable movement may support longer-term stress regulation - in essence to help the body respond more effectively to stress. But exercise itself can become another source of strain when hard training is added to insufficient sleep, psychological stress, restricted eating and inadequate recovery.
The aim is not to keep cortisol permanently low. It is to choose an exercise load from which your body can recover.
How does the Aviva Method fit in?
The Aviva Method is a mild-to-moderate movement programme designed specifically with women’s reproductive and pelvic health in mind.
It offers a structured way to move with attention to female reproductive and pelvic health—without suggesting that maximum intensity produces maximum benefit.
Many women practise the Aviva Method to support their reproductive well-being, and there are numerous anecdotal reports of improvements in menstrual symptoms, cycle-related concerns and fertility journeys. While these experiences cannot prove cause and effect, they are an important part of the method's history.
Unlike many other exercise approaches, the Aviva Method has also been investigated in scientific research, including studies on period pain and uterine artery responses. You can read more on the Aviva Method Research page.
The bottom line
Exercise affects the environment in which female hormones operate. A healthy, active lifestyle can support insulin sensitivity, metabolic health, stress regulation and the processes surrounding ovulation.
But exercise is not a direct hormone-adjustment tool. It cannot reliably raise progesterone, lower oestrogen or guarantee improved fertility. And when exercise exceeds the energy and recovery available, it can produce the opposite of the intended effect.
The better question is not: Which workout balances hormones?
It is:
What kind and amount of movement can I practise consistently, fuel adequately and recover from?
If you would like to explore a mild-to-moderate movement practice developed around women’s reproductive and pelvic health, learn more about the Aviva Method workshops.
References
Teede HJ et al. Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
Shahid W et al. Effects of exercise on sex steroid hormones in eumenorrheic females: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024.
Mountjoy M et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.
Gordon CM et al. Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
Medical disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Irregular or missing periods can have many causes. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional if you are concerned about your menstrual cycle, fertility, hormonal health or response to exercise.