Honouring What Your Body Needs | Exercise with Hashimotos Thyroiditis

Honouring What Your Body Needs | Exercise with Hashimotos Thyroiditis

Today I talk about my experience balancing exercise with your health needs so you can enjoy the benefits of movement while managing Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Avoiding flare ups, keeping consistent and having more energy to reach your goals. 

Do's

Start slow and build exercise gradually

Focus on consistency: 

Try strength training

Listen to your body

Stay hydrated and focus on wholefoods

Don'ts

Avoid overexertion

Don't ignore symptoms

Avoid high-impact on your joints

Don't skip rest days

Avoid exercising when feeling off

Don't forget other lifestyle factors

Transcript

Welcome back, everyone. I hope that you just loved last week's episode with Mel all about seed cycling as much as I did. Isn't it just so interesting? Today I'm talking to something that I literally thought of this morning after I did a new gym class and I don't know, I love these podcast episodes where it's in the moment. It's something that comes to me and I feel like I really want to talk to it. So that's what I'm doing today. I wanted to share with you the do's and don'ts that I've personally experienced with exercise and having Hashimoto's thyroiditis. So I have Hashimoto's, which is an autoimmune disease. I've spoken about this in the past. If you have any other questions, please come on over and dm me on instagram. I can share that with you. But basically I've now had it for about. Or I've been diagnosed about twelve years ago, and I've had a lot of trial and error in that time about what works for me. I will say that it's such a personal journey. I have a really good friend who also has Hashimoto's. It's really nice to be able to talk through with each other what we're going through, and we definitely do experience some similar symptoms. However, she can handle a bit more intense exercise than what I can. So I'm just letting you know that just as like an example of how it is such a personal journey and you have to do what works for you. And of course, I am not a doctor or a medical professional in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. So step one, always, if you're unsure, is to talk to your doctor or your specialist. This is just what I have found really helpful. That works for me. And I personally love these conversations with my friend who also has Hashimoto's. So I wanted to have this conversation with you guys in case you're also feeling the stress or the challenge or not really sure what to do when it comes to exercise if you've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. So a little bit of a story time today, actually, in the last two weeks, I started a new gym and I. I have been doing pilates on and off for probably about three years, and I really love it. But I feel now in my late thirties that there's been a lot of hype around lifting weights, which I haven't been doing. And I really wanted to start lifting weights to focus on my hormone health and building muscle and retaining muscle and looking into just gaining my strength more so than anything. So I joined a new gym, and it actually came about because my daughter won me a one month pass to this gym at a mother's day thing at her school. So that was kind of the good boost that I needed, because if you know me, I get so nervous trying new things. I get nervous meeting new people. I get so nervous when it's just not in my comfort zone and I don't know what to expect. So my friend actually came with me. We both did a one week trial, and then from there, I've been using my monthly little gift membership that I got. And, guys, I am loving it. So I'm still trying to do a few pilates a week, and I guess in total, I do about four or five different things a week, and that's really all I can do. But they're not intense, and I'm going to talk to that more down the track. So we have been trying out lots of different classes at this new gym just to get a feel for it. Right. We've been doing strength classes where they just really focus on lifting heavy weights, and it's quite slow, and you really focused on your form, and I find that just incredible. My heart rate goes pumping through the roof, but I don't feel like I've overexerted myself. I feel like I get good breaks and I can really just focus on the strength building of my muscles. This morning, oh, my gosh, we did this class called strength and conditioning. I thought it was going to be more strength focused, but it was so intense. The cardio in this class was full on. It was like the whole time, like 45 minutes, and I was dying. This is something that I've learned with my hashimoto's in the last twelve years, that I cannot do high intensity, high cardio classes, because what happens is I can feel it while I'm in it. I'm trying to push through. I think there's a lot of hype around pushing through, like, push yourself till you feel like you're gonna vomit or, you know, like, keep going, keep going. But if you have Hashimoto's, that is actually the worst thing you can do, because what will happen is you will get so exhausted, and then tomorrow you will absolutely crash and you'll have to take such a long break to recover that it's just not great for you. So this morning, the class was like this, and I knew when to stop myself. So, for example, we had to do a 500 meters run. Long story short, it was like, you roll the dice, you get a number, and that number coordinates with a certain exercise. But what could happen is if you roll the same number three times, you have to do that certain exercise three times in a row. So you might have to do the 500 meters run three times in a row. So basically, I know myself, and I knew that that type of thing absolutely shatters me. So I was like, no, I'm out. I went and had a drink of water. Like, I just. And I don't even care. I used to care. I used to think, oh, what are people going to think of me? But I'm just like, no. Because I know that if I had pushed myself that hard, I would have absolutely crashed tomorrow. The whole rest of my week would have been written off and I wouldn't be able to do any exercise. So that was a lesson for me this morning. I'm proud of myself for showing up and doing something new. But I also remembered how important it has been for me over these last few years of doing the less intense, more slower paced classes at Pilates. How beneficial that has been for Hashimoto's. So this is just your reminder that you kind of need to really listen to your body trial and error things and find what works for you. But in my case, definitely the more gentler exercise is so much more helpful in balancing and managing Hashimoto's. I'm going to jump into some do's and don'ts that will kind of outline this in a better way for you. Let's start with the do's because they're more fun. So my first do is to really start slow and build up with your exercise routine slowly. So if you've just been diagnosed with hashimoto, it might be like a tailspin for you or a whirlwind. Like, you might just be thinking, I don't know where to start. Or maybe you're looking into starting an exercise program because, unfortunately, one of the symptoms that comes with hashimoto's is weight gain. And so you might be looking to get into more movement so that you can feel better in your body. So I would say start slow. Begin with really low, intense exercises. The things that I personally love doing is walking, yoga, pilates. And as you improve in your fitness, you'll be able to increase the intensity of these or the length of these. So, for example, you could start off doing, you know, a slow pilates class, and then you might work yourself up to doing the bar, the more high paced Pilates class. I love reformer Pilates. I feel like reformer Pilates is just such a great one for people with Hashimoto's because it does focus on your strengths and you can change the springs and your hand weights to suit where you are at your level of strength. But it is quite slow paced and you can take it as what works for you. Number two is focus on your consistency. This is huge and I think this comes into really listening to how you feel after a workout and changing a routine based on that. If you can aim for more regular and enjoyable movement and exercise rather than random, sporadic, intense workout workouts that then leave you having a flare up and having to take long breaks, you're going to improve your energy and support your overall wellbeing. So find something that works for you. I find creating an exercise routine really helpful because it helps you to not have to think about it and also look at your week and see where you're doing different types of movement and giving yourself rest days for Hashimoto's and helping your body just recover. So an example of my exercise routine that I've, I've been loving lately and I love doing my exercise at 06:00 a.m. in the morning. I find that those high intensity workouts, I just cannot do them first thing in the morning like today. It's just too much on my brain. I love taking movement as a way to gently wake me up and I just enjoy it. So my time that I love exercising is 06:00 a.m. at the moment, my routine, if you're wanting an example, looks like Monday morning I do reformer Pilates. Tuesday morning I like to go for a walk. Wednesday morning I'd like to do another reformer pilates. Thursdays I have been doing actually a 945 strength class. Friday morning I'll see how I feel. I might do a walk or even a hot pilates. Hot mat. Pilates. Saturdays I've been doing a strength session with my friend and Sundays going for a walk. So you can really see how I try and alternate between different types of workouts to give body rest. I'm also one who's really in tune with how I feel the night before. I'll have a look at whatever class I've got booked in, and if I'm not feeling up to it, if I feel like that's going to be too intense for where I'm at, I'll cancel it and I'll either just stay in bed or I'll go for a really short walk instead. Actually, this week I know that I'm coming up to my period, so Thursday, instead of doing anything, I've cancelled it and I've booked in to do an infrared sauna. Focusing on that consistency, finding a routine, it really helps you find a balance in your movement and exercise that your body will thank you for. If you were to do, like, three intense workouts in a row, you get into this zone where you're like, I'm going to work out every single day. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you go at 06:00 a.m. or whatever time you're going to crash. That is from my personal experience, you're going to crash. You won't want to do anything for another week or two. And that's just putting such a halt in your training. Wouldn't you rather take it easy and be able to maintain your consistency for a long period of time? And that's where you're going to see results, find more energy, and feel better in yourself. Number three of my do's was incorporating strength training. So I've mentioned reformer Pilates. I think Reforma Pilates is definitely a form of strength training depending on how heavy you make the weights. I definitely feel really sore from doing certain reformer Pilates classes, depending on where we're focusing, and that depends on how heavy I'm lifting in the class. Really great place to start. And then, as I said, I've just started strength training and I am really loving it. I've only been doing it for a few weeks, so I'll check back in with you in a few months and let you know. But I feel like it's really doable for me. I'm not overwhelmed in the class. I'm really focusing on my form rather than lifting heavy. And I'm just going to take it a little bit, a little bit, a little bit at a time and just slowly build up my strength. But it doesn't feel overwhelming. It doesn't leave me feeling exhausted. Yes, I was very sore afterwards, but I felt like that was a good thing and I'm ready to do that every now and then. Number four is listening to your body, and I've already mentioned this, but paying attention to how your body responds to exercise is really important when you have Hashimoto's. So how are you feeling in the class? Are you feeling, like, shattered? Like, I don't know how to explain it. I think I can explain it, like, if I'm having a flare up and I push myself to go to a class, even a reformer Pilates class or a, you know, a hot pilates or something. But I'm feeling exhausted the whole time. I just feel like I can't do anything. I feel like my body is telling me, stop, and I just want to, like, lay down. That is your body telling you that it is, like, overexerted and it needs a break. So really listening to how you're feeling, how. How are your muscles feeling? Like, do they feel sore? With Hashimoto's, one thing that shows up when I'm going to have a flare up is that I feel like my muscles are sore. Like when you get the flu, like that soreness where you just feel like everything is aching. That is a hashimoto's flare up. So when that happens to me, I cancel things and I put in recovery. Slow walks, infrared saunas, long baths with epsom salts, that type of thing. If you're feeling really tired, if you feel dizzy or, like, really sick in a workout, then stop. Don't be afraid to stop and just say, I'm done. I think the mental shift of listening to your body when you have Hashimoto's is really, like, showing up for yourself and being your biggest advocate. So if you're in a class, it can feel really embarrassing to say, I just. I need to stop. Because you want to keep up with everyone, but honestly, nobody cares. Just do it for you. You would rather, rather feel good tomorrow than feel horrible tomorrow. So listening to your body and learning how your body is communicating with you is a huge one. Number five is, of course, to do with balancing your diet and hydration. You know that I'm all about eating whole foods, and lately, I'm all about focusing on protein and good fats. And this has been another game changer for me. I feel more energized. I don't feel like snacking. I've been sleeping better. I think with Hashi's, you also want to make sure that you're getting the nutrients that are really going to support your thyroid health, like selenium and zinc. You can look into this more. And also, we really want to support hormone health when we've got Hashimoto's, because obviously a thyroid is hormones, and it all comes back together. So hormone health again, the seed cycling episode would be really good, because if you can get your female hormones on track, then, you know, the thyroid also benefits. Staying hydrated is huge. Make sure you're waking up and drinking, like, a huge glass of water, taking your water bottle to the gym with you and sipping it throughout. I've had really good trainers who will always say at the beginning, sip on your water bottle, take breaks to have water. And I love that because it just reminds you that you need to keep sipping on your water and hydrating throughout your workouts. Now, let's jump into the don'ts, because the don'ts are probably similar to the things that I've mentioned in the do's. But, you know, this is really what works for me and what I would say has a huge impact on the amount of flare ups I have. I would say that I haven't had a flare up in a long time, and I think it's because I almost can feel it coming on and I stop it in its tracks by being aware of all of these things. And it does relate so much to more than exercise. Like it's related to stress and emotions and things like that. But I think exercise is a huge one. And as women, and even if you have a thyroid disorder, you put a lot of pressure on yourself to exercise. And that's why I really think these do's and don'ts are really helpful to think about. So the top don't that I have is really avoid overexertion. And I spoke about this before, but high intensity workouts or prolonged exercise sessions can seriously lead you to having a flare up. You really have to avoid pushing yourself too hard, especially on days where you are feeling like those symptoms are maybe flaring up. I also find this the two weeks before my period, I will definitely focus on doing more lower intensity things. And as I said, I don't do any high intensity. But for example, the week before my period, I might lift a little bit lighter or take a little bit easier. In that Reforma Pilates class, I might book in more saunas or do walks over anything else. And this is definitely another thing that you need to choose. But if you listen to your body and see how you feel, then go with that. If you love high intensity workouts, maybe you can do high intensity workouts after your period for those two weeks. And then in the next two weeks, maybe hold out on them. And that might be a really good way of managing your hashimoto symptoms. Number two is not to ignore your symptoms. If you're experiencing fatigue, joint pain is a big one. If you start feeling, like, really sore in your joints, that is definitely a sign that your body is inflamed and your hashis is flaring up. I also find that when I'm holding weight, like I don't, I almost feel like I've got heaps of water. Attention. That is a sign for me that I'm doing too much. It's almost like a sign that my body is in stress and it's just holding on to everything. If these things are happening to you, it might be a sign that you really do need to adjust your exercise routine or choose something that's gentler, or just take a step back for a while and just do light walks, maybe home yoga stretches and things like that. Number three is avoiding high impact activities and it's just what works for me. But, like, I cannot run or do, like, high impact jumping because it just really exacerbates any joint pain and, like, muscle fatigue. So personally, I opt for low impact exercises that are really gentle on my joints. When I'm in a class and they're doing like, jump squats, I literally just do squats. If everyone's running, I will skip the run and have a drink of water. Like, it sounds ridiculous, but I actually don't care. Cause I'm like, I don't care. I don't wanna be absolutely shattered tomorrow. Number four is don't skip rest days. Rest days, I'm learning, are so important and it's hard, especially when you're a busy mum or you're trying to reach an exercise goal and you think, I need to go, go, go. But I would say a rest and recovery day does not necessarily mean not moving at all. It just means maybe going for a light half an hour walk in the sunshine or along the beach slowly. Or maybe it is booking in a recovery session in a sauna or something like that. I also like to call a recovery day, like a yin yoga, which is like a really slow stretch yoga. So there's definitely things when you say rest and recovery, it doesn't mean you sit and do nothing. Because I do think regular gentle movement is very helpful for Hashimoto's. It helps with bringing down inflammation, getting your blood flowing, getting your hormones working healthily, and just helping balance your energy. But think about rest and recovery. I kind of like to think of it too, as like, one for one. So if I've done a Reforma pilates or a strength training, the next day I'll do a walk or a yin yoga. So I really found that that has helped with me with my hashimoto's, is that I don't do heart rate elevating strong weight based things days in a row, because then I'll just crash. Number five is to avoid exercising when you are feeling these symptoms flaring up, or if you're starting to feel unwell. So if you're starting to feel like you're flaring up, or maybe you feel like you've got a cold, you've got a sore throat, it might be better to rest than to pushing through and doing your workout. I think sometimes there's that saying of like, and I know my husband says this all the time. He's like, if I feel a little bit off, a little bit tired, I go and do a workout, and it gives me more energy, it helps me push through, whereas I'm the opposite. If I'm feeling a little bit tired, a little bit run down, and then I push myself to go to a workout, it just makes me feel worse. And the last don't. That I really want to focus on and talk to is don't neglect your other lifestyle factors. So try and remember that managing Hashimoto's really does involve a holistic approach. It's including stress management, your sleep quality, all alongside exercise for, like, an optimal view of your health. So how much sleep are you getting? What's your nightly routine look like? What are your recovery days? What is your stress management? What does your cycle look like? You know, how can you manage that? What do your foods look like? What makes you really feel good? Noticing that and incorporating it all together and really giving yourself time and love, you are worthy to focus on how you treat your hashimoto's. I hope this episode helps you. If you're in a little rut with your exercise, you're finding it hard to find an exercise routine with Hashimoto's. I mean, guys, I can tell you, I've been down the track of. I've done f 45 consistently and absolutely crashed. But where I find the most consistency and the most enjoyment in balancing my hashimoto's and exercise is pilates. And now a little bit of strength training, walks, sunshine, balancing other lifestyle factors. And that seems to be the really good place for me. So it kind of flips this idea that high, intense exercise equals health. In the case of Hashimoto's or any autoimmune disease, that is not the case. So I'm just sending you so much love. If you're on a hashimoto's journey, like me, you're not alone. It has its ups and downs, but use those ups and downs to learn about yourself, learn about your body and where you feel really comfortable and energized.