Exercise programs are a good way to keep in shape and stay healthy. According to the American College of Sports Medicines, an adult should do cardiovascular workouts for 30 minutes a day, five days a week for major health benefits. While exercise is good for everyone, in this article we will focus on the importance of exercise for patients who have a thyroid disease.
What are thyroid disorders?
Most thyroid diseases are caused by thyroid malfunctions. The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland that can be found in the lower part of the neck and it plays an important part in your body.
This gland secrets two different amino acid-iodine bound hormones, triiodothyronine (also known as T3) and thyroxin (known as T4). If the thyroid does not function properly, your hormone levels will become unbalanced and this will affect your entire metabolism, including growth, gene expression and tissue differentiation.
There are various types of thyroid disorders such as goiter (having an enlarged thyroid), thyroiditis (when an infection caused by a virus or a bacterium affects the gland), thyroid nodules (they can be lumps, bumps, liquid filled or solid cysts, or even tumors), thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (in which the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid), hyperthyroid (excess of hormones) and hypothyroid (low hormone secretion).
But is working out recommended if you have a thyroid disorder?
In most cases yes. Various sports can increase hormone production in the thyroid, which is helpful for patients with autoimmune diseases that affect the thyroid or hypothyroidism. Thyroid functions will receive boosts both during and after exercise, as long as you do it constantly.
Many negative side effects of gland disorders can be reduced by an increased hormone production. As a consequence of your disorder, your metabolism will be sluggish and you might want to get back in shape too.
It is easy to understand why you might not want to exercise if you have a thyroid conditions. Common symptoms include muscle and joint pain, fatigue and swelling, so physical activities may seem difficult to you. However, exercise is still highly recommended since it can help you feel better. Not only you will get in shape, but you can alleviate symptoms like muscle loss, depression, low energy levels and weight gain.
Doctors agree that if you condition is under control you should be able to do any type of physical activity. You can start with low-impact exercise especially if you are still dealing with your symptoms. Then, when your doctor says that your condition is stable, you can move up to a workout that is more challenging.
If you do not like traditional sports maybe you should take a look at something that is a bit different. For example you can consider high energy boxing. Today we will present you the benefits of high energy boxing and why it can be the ideal workout for you even if you have a thyroid disorder.
Make sure that high energy boxing is safe for you
We must warn you first, before beginning any type of workout you must talk to your doctor or a thyroid pharmacist. Under no circumstances should you start exercising without asking a specialist first. Your condition must be well-controlled with medications before starting to exercise, otherwise you can put your health in danger.
For example, hyperthyroidism patients already have excessive heart rates and exercise can speed it even more, causing heart failure. On the other hand, hypothyroidism slows down your heart rate so your body is not prepared for effort.
Also, a good workout can help you manage you symptoms, but that does not mean that you should give up on medication. Sport cannot substitute your treatment. More than that, without the right medication your thyroid hormones won’t be under control and exercise can become harmful for your body.
Therefore, before taking the path of high energy boxing, you must see your doctor first and make sure that you have an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment. Medication will make you feel better and you will discover the motivation needed for an intense workout. Now that we have warned you, let’s take a look at the numerous advantages of high energy boxing.
You have plenty of options to choose from
A good thing about high energy boxing is that there you can try something different every time. In the boxing ring you can try many different styles. Whether you choose sparring, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai or something else, you can find a boxing technique that suits your style.
For example, Muay Thai can be the ideal choice if you want a combat sport that will train your entire body and that is also a mental discipline. MMA is appealing because it mixes various other combat sports and martial arts so it allows you to try out many techniques.
It is a workout that trains both your body and your mind
High energy boxing aims to transform your body, but you will soon discover that you will also reap numerous mental benefits. Boxing is all about discipline and developing a strong mindset. This sport will help you become more confident and it can help you with the depression symptom of thyroid disorders, improving you disposition and your well-being.
Exercise increases the production of endorphins, the chemicals that transmit electrical signals through your body in order to make you feel good. Endorphins can even increase your appetite and reduce the perception of pain. Therefore, this workout will also help you enhance your mood, remove stress and improve your strength and balance.
You will also notice that boxing will boost your energy levels and you will be able to overcome any obstacle without feeling tired all of the time. Getting in the boxing ring will destroy your fatigue; many patients with thyroid diseases declared that fatigue does not always abate with the use of gland medication and sometimes exercise can help you remove the feeling of tiredness.
Your entire body will get fit with this workout that trains all your important muscles
Muay Thai or Thai boxing is one of the best examples, proving that a combat sport can become a full-body workout. Thai boxing is also called “the art of eight limbs” because it trains your entire body, with techniques that combine the use of elbows, fists, knees and shins. Working on your muscles is also good for your symptoms. Training your body will help ease pressure on your joints and offer you relief.
This physical activity will engage most major muscles, offering you fast results for your weight gain symptom. Usually people with hypothyroidism will experience this side effect and they also tend to have a sedentary lifestyle because of the feeling of tiredness.
However, if you motivate yourself and start working out you will burn more calories, and with a good combination between exercise, meds you should shed the extra pounds in no time.
There are also professional fighters that have this condition
While it may appear hard to train when you have been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, there are MMA champions that fought while having gland disorders.
For example, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has an underactive thyroid, but he didn’t let it affect his training. The former UFC champion revealed that he will probably be on medication for the rest of his life.
While hypothyroidism did affect his weight gain and it made him worry about moving to the heavyweight category, it did not stop him from fighting although he was aware that some aches and pains may occur during training. It is another proof that a thyroid issue should not stop anyone from achieving their goals and Quinton Jackson may act as a case in point.
You can live longer than people who do not exercise
Various important studies, including a Harvard one, have demonstrated that working out can extend your life. Exercise will offer you numerous health benefits that will help you live longer. Studies also discovered that intense workouts are more helpful than conservative ones and there is a bigger chance that they will reduce the risk of death.
However, in order to really increase your health benefits you should train constantly and make a routine out of it.
Boxing will improve your heart condition and the health of your cardiovascular system
High energy boxing is intense and it requires quite an effort. Exercising will soon make you breathe harder and feel like you need more oxygen. This will rev up your heart and help it get into better shape and it will also decrease your cholesterol levels. However, your heart rate is very important for thyroid conditions, so check with a doctor first.
If everything is okay, this anaerobic exercise should make you test your limits and train the most important muscle in your entire body. Don’t forget that boxing will be more difficult than aerobic, since it requires all the energy that you have stored in your muscles. However, this is worth it, since it has been proved that high intensity workouts improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the incidence of heart attacks.
This physical activity will help you improve yourself
Trying high-energy boxing for the first time will be hard. However, if you continue to train you will be surprised to see how much you can change. Workouts will seem easier each time and you will enhance you endurance in new ways. After a while you will be able to train more for longer periods of time and you won’t have to struggle the way you did before.
And you will also notice your new strength in your personal life. You will deal better with difficult tasks than previously and physical activities won’t represent a challenge for you anymore.
You can work more than you were able previously, your tolerance will be increased and you can easily replace the elevator with the stairs or the car with a long jog. Your mindset will also begin to change, your self-esteem levels will rise and you won’t be afraid of challenges.
Start slowly and build up
Boxing can be a demanding activity, especially if your metabolism is still weak. Therefore, don’t rush into it. Start training and see how your body reacts, if you go too fast you can hurt yourself and set yourself back. Keep progressing and change your routine as time goes by.
We would also suggest interval training, hard work followed by equal resting periods. This method can have a positive impact on glucose metabolism and it is ideal if you do not want to force your body too much.
If you have the resources, it is recommended that you find yourself a personal trainer that is aware about your gland condition. This way you will have someone who can show you how to train like a pro, but he will also understand if your body has certain limits.
In time, most if the symptoms will start to subside and you will be able to take it to the next level. With training and patience you can evolve and maybe one day you will even transform this passion into something more and become a professional fighter.
Conclusions
If your doctor agrees, high energy boxing can be an amazing way to improve your pulmonary performance, cardiac muscle function and metabolism, which are all areas affected by the thyroid hormone levels.
Therefore, boxing can have direct and indirect effects on the thyroid function. If you combine the right medication with a workout you will soon discover that your exercise tolerance will improve and all your thyroid-related symptoms will be alleviated.