Exercises for an Underactive Thyroid

Women, especially those over age 50, often have thyroid problems, and their symptoms are frequently overlooked as just normal changes during menopause.

Your thyroid makes hormones that control many body functions, such as your mood, weight, and ability to have children.

So, when your thyroid doesn’t work right, you might have many ill effects.

Two things can help: progesterone, which aids thyroid function, and exercise. If your thyroid is underactive, exercise is likely the last thing you want to do.

After all, symptoms like tiredness, puffiness, and sore muscles and joints make you feel like staying still.

But doctors say that moving your body can help you feel better.

What kind of exercise helps?

If your problem is well managed, you can do the same exercise as someone with a healthy thyroid, says John C. Morris, MD, a medicine and thyroid expert at the Mayo Clinic.

But if you are new to exercise or still have symptoms, gentle aerobic exercise and strength training are best.

“Gentle exercise puts less stress on your body,” says Norma Lopez, MD, a thyroid and metabolism doctor at Loyola University Medical Center. “This is important because an underactive thyroid can cause sore muscles and joints and swelling.”

Try these activities:

Walking: One of the easiest workouts to do. All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes. It gets your heart pumping and burns about 280 calories an hour.

Water aerobics: If you have swelling in your ankles or feet, some exercises may be painful. Water aerobics is a good option. The water holds you up and lowers the impact on your joints.

Yoga: This can stretch and strengthen your muscles. It also helps you focus on breathing. One study found that people with hypothyroidism had better lung strength after practicing yoga breathing for 6 months.

Tai chi: Described as “moving meditation,” this slow-motion form of martial arts is a proven stress-buster. Research shows it can help improve strength, balance, and mood.

Strength training: Whether you lift weights or use your body weight, building muscle helps you burn more calories even when you’re sitting still – and that can help you shed extra pounds. Strong muscles also help ease pressure on your joints.

What’s the point of exercise?

While medication such as Thyroxine is commonly prescribed, exercise can help some of the problems that come with hypothyroidism so definitely worth considering.

Helpful information

As you might expect, hormone balance plays a major part in dealing with your thyroid. Progesterone is the hormone that supports thyroid function so it’s well worth checking whether you need to supplement with it.

Serenity, Wellsprings progesterone only cream, is used by many women alongside thyroid medication for help with that and symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog and others.

Want to know more about progesterone and thyroid? This article gives you a lot more information about that.

https://blog.wellsprings-health.com/how-bioidentical-natural-progesterone-helps-with-low-thyroid-2/