What is Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyoidism?
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid or low thyroid, is a disorder of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. It can cause a number of symptoms, such as poor ability to tolerate cold, a feeling of tiredness, constipation, depression, and weight gain.When you have hypothyroidism, regular exercise can help you:
Lose weight. Often, one of the first symptoms people with hypothyroidism notice is weight gain. While simply taking the right dosage of medication for hypothyroidism can help relieve other symptoms of the condition, it won’t lead to instant weight loss. So losing weight becomes essential to many, both to help boost self-esteem and to reduce any added stress on joints. Physical therapists encourage low-impact cardiovascular exercises, such as cycling, elliptical training, swimming, and walking. As you build up your fitness level, talk to your doctor about moving on to more intense cardio workouts — such as running — if desired.
Maintain a healthy weight. While cardio exercises may help people shed pounds, activities like weight lifting and strength training help keep the weight off. That’s because muscle requires more energy to maintain than soft tissue or fat — you burn more calories by building and maintaining muscle than maintaining fat — so it can help to add a weight-training program to your routine. While weight lifting helps you ward off weight gain, it can also help boost your metabolism and improve overall strength.
Decrease joint pain. When you’re first getting started with an exercise routine, choose gentle stretching or gentle yoga, especially if you experience joint pain. Swimming and even walking in a pool are also excellent options, as the water reduces stress and pressure on joints.
Relieve depression. Depression often accompanies hypothyroidism. The good news, though, is that aerobic exercises such as biking, walking, elliptical training, and swimming can help elevate metabolism, improve energy, and relieve depression.
Boost energy. Walk, bike, swim, skip down the road — whatever you do, the most important thing is to move. Results of a small study published in March 2017 in Physiology & Behavioreven showed that young women who experienced sleep deprivation were more energized by a 10-minute stair climb than by 50 milligrams of caffeine.
Increase muscle mass. In addition to building strength, increasing muscle mass can also help improve balance and stability. Try using weight machines, free weights, and even body-weight exercises to help increase muscle mass. Pilates and more intense types of yoga, such as Ashtanga, Bikram, and Vinyasa, also work well. An added benefit is that muscle helps ward off osteoporosis, a common concern of women — who have the highest incidence of hypothyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism on the other hand It is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland is overactive and produces an abnormally high level of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone that influences several mechanisms in your body, including your heart rate, body temperature, use of fats and carbohydrates, and protein production.
Hyperthyroidism can mimic other health problems, which can make it difficult for your doctor to diagnose. It can also cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, including:
- Unintentional weight loss, even when your appetite and food intake stay the same or increase
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) — commonly more than 100 beats a minute
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Pounding of your heart (palpitations)
- Increased appetite
- Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
- Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers
- Sweating
- Changes in menstrual patterns
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements
- An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck
- Fatigue, muscle weakness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Skin thinning
- Fine, brittle hair
What can Medical Fitness for Hyperthyroidism do for you?
he American College of Sports Medicine recommends some exercises for patients with hyperthyroid disease. First on the list is aerobic exercise, which you can do up to five days per week for 30 to 60 minutes per day. The best aerobic exercises engage the large muscles of your body, which could include taking a dance class, biking or swimming. Do resistance training two or three days per week, with at least 48 hours between sessions that focus on the same muscles. Resistance exercises include using resistance bands, doing heavy gardening or doing body-weight exercises such as pushups and situps. Do weight-bearing activities to help prevent osteoporosis, including walking and stair climbing, suggests the National Institutes of Health.
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