Are you workouts really ruining your hormones?
It is such a fun time to be a functional medicine dietitian with the growing awareness around food, lifestyle, and how they impact health. The interest in hormone health has skyrocketed, and the “hormone balancing” trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. As someone who specializes in women’s hormones, I couldn’t be more excited about this!
With so much information (and misinformation) out there, I thought it would be fun to comment on one trend I see over and over again—cortisol and workouts.
Let’s start with this: what is cortisol?
Cortisol is often called the body’s “stress hormone”, but it does so much more than just respond to stress. Cortisol operates on the body’s circadian rhythms, rising in the morning to help us wake up and naturally decreasing at night to support sleep. I like to say cortisol and melatonin work like a seesaw - when one rises, the other falls to balance our energy levels.
I always say how “we” perceive stress is different than how the “body” perceives stress. Cortisol will rise in response to both good stress (like exercise and sun exposure) and bad stress (like poor sleep, under-eating, emotional stress, and even excessive screen time).
So, if cortisol increases during exercise, does that mean your workouts are hurting your hormones?
Are your workouts really hurting your cortisol?
Two things can be true at once:
✔️ Exercise is a stressor on the body.
✔️ Exercise is also beneficial for the body.
Truth is, a little bit of stress isn’t a bad thing. Cortisol plays a major role in metabolism, reducing inflammation, supporting memory and focus, and it provides us with energy boost and alertness we need to power through a workout.
The real issue? Chronic stress. When cortisol levels remain high for too long due to poor stress management, inadequate recovery, or overtraining, the body struggles to find balance, leading to fatigue, sleep disruptions, weight gain and more.
How to Work Out Without Wrecking Your Hormones
Working out might be an added stress, but it also might be a great way to manage stress. There are 24 hours in a day, and not all of them are spent being active. How you spend the rest of your day can dictate your hormones more than just the 1-2 spent working out. If you struggle with high cortisol, I encourage you to take a big-picture approach. Instead of just focusing on shifting your workout, look at your day as a whole.
Are you fueling appropriately before and after your workout?
Are you taking rest days?
Are you getting high-quality sleep?
Are you staying hydrated?
Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed by work or daily stressors?
Are you giving yourself time to breathe and reset throughout the day?
My rule of thumb is this: hormone balancing and working out can coexist! If you are someone who has high cortisol and genuinely loves your morning long run or HIIT, think about how the rest of your day and your daily habits can be adjusted to support both.
When to Adjust Your Workouts for Cortisol Balance
If your work schedule is intense, sleep is inconsistent, and stress feels overwhelming, then it might be worth swapping high-intensity workouts for lower-impact movement (like walking, yoga, Pilates, or strength training). But if you’re managing stress well, being mindful of the items noted above, and feeling good? Your workout might actually be helping keep your cortisol levels in check. Figure out what works for you given your current state and responsibilities.
The Bottom Line
The name of the game is—and always has been—balance. Instead of stressing over whether or not exercise is hurting your hormones, focus on how you can support your body as a whole. Because yes—you really can have your cake and eat it too!
