If you have thyroid disease, you need to understand the importance of a management strategy – one that includes exercise. The thyroid plays a role in all metabolic processes, so when it malfunctions, it affects your overall health and quality of life.
You may feel tired all the time or seem unusually restless. The doctor will have many suggestions on what you can do to manage your illness, but at the top of the list will be regular exercise. Consider some of the ways exercise affects your thyroid disease.
A Little About Thyroid Disease
There are many variations of this disease, but the end results are usually the same. People with misbehaving thyroids generally have too much or too little amounts of key hormones.
A person whose thyroid underproduces is said to be hypothyroid; when the thyroid makes too many hormones that person has hyperthyroidism. Either problem benefits from exercise.
Exercise and Hormone Production
Aerobic exercises, workouts that raise your pulse, increase the production of natural thyroid hormones. This offers an obvious benefit for those with hypothyroid or low thyroid hormone levels.
Exercise works to naturally increase thyroid production and reduce the symptoms of the disease such as:
The increase in hormone production that comes with exercise will help decrease the symptoms.
Exercise is effective for those with hyperthyroidism, too. The symptoms of hyperthyroid include:
Exercise produces “feel-good” hormones called endorphins that act as analgesics. They provide a euphoric feeling that improves your mood and helps you sleep better.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
Let your doctor help you decide how much exercise is right for you. Since thyroid disease can have cardiac implications, it is important to talk to your doctor before beginning a fitness program. For most people, the recommended amount of exercise is 30 minutes a day five or six days a week. Keep your exercise at a moderate intensity to help boost your metabolism levels and mood. This would include things like:
While exercise (or lack thereof) can have a significant impact on your thyroid disease, many other things can make a difference too. The right thyroid supplement, for instance, may help you feel betterand potentially improve thyroid symptoms. Check with your doctor, and consider implementing a thyroid support supplement as part of your daily routine. Who knows, you may find your exercise routine becomes easier and more effective!
