Hypothyroidism and the Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise

Hypothyroidism and the Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise – How it Affects You

Are there any benefits that a person with hypothyroidism gets from adding cardiovascular exercise to their daily routine? Absolutely, Hypothyroidism and the Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise is very real. They are the same health benefits that everybody gets when they include cardiovascular exercise to their daily routine. Let’s take a look at those health benefits so we can see exactly where this makes sense.
• Cardiovascular Exercise is extremely beneficial to first and foremost your heart because it strengthens your heart muscle. A stronger heart muscle means that your heart pumps blood better and lowers your risk for heart disease. This is a huge benefit to people who are hypothyroid. Think about Hypothyroidism symptoms. When you have an underactive thyroid everything slows down including the way that your heart pumps blood. It only makes sense to improve your heart functionality if you want better quality in your daily living.
• Cardiovascular exercise also improves lung function for batter oxygen flow. A better oxygen flow through your body helps to strengthen your immune system.
• Cardio exercise will strengthen muscles. Stronger, larger muscles burn more calories aiding in weight control.
• Cardio exercise improves circulation and promotes better muscle function which helps to ease up on or eliminate some of the stiffness that we experience with hypothyroidism.
• Cardiovascular exercise lowers stress levels and improves sleep quality. This is something that can help to eliminate depression which is yet another symptom of hypothyroidism.

Notice that cardiovascular exercise on a normal level will improve many areas of your body and well being that are affected by the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism and the Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise – Thyroid Medication Regulation Before You Start

Again I have to stress here the importance of making sure that you have your thyroid medication regulated. The thyroid medication is where you will first get your body and metabolism into a position where it is going to function in a normal manner. Once your doctor has your medication regulated and your body is functioning at a normal level then it’s time to start reaping the same rewards of cardiovascular exercise that everybody else is capable of reaping.
So where do you start?

How do I Start my Cardiovascular Exercise Routine?

Well, once your thyroid meds are regulated, there are many ways to get your daily dose of cardio exercise. You don’t even have to join a gym to accomplish this. In my opinion the best place to start is walking. You can start by walking a little each day especially if you’ve been experiencing stiffness. In this case I recommend starting with a simple walk around the block and then taking it from there. If you are able to you should try to push for at least 15 minutes on your first day, adding an extra 5 minutes per day until you can put in at least a 60 minute walk per day. Before you even realize it, this routine will become second nature and you won’t have to think about motivating yourself to get out and walk. You might even find yourself pushing beyond those 60 minutes.

Now what happens when the weather starts to get too hot, too cold, wet, snowy or just plain icky? You don’t have to avoid your daily dose of cardiovascular exercise. You can use something as simples as the steps in your house, your dvd player, television and any open space that’s available in your home. Do laps up and down your steps from one floor to the next. If you don’t have multiple floors then you can do laps up and down a hallway or from room to room inside of your house. If you have a dvd player then get a low impact aerobic dvd and use it. If you don’t want to do those things then turn on the stereo and start dancing to your favorite upbeat music. Music can be extremely motivational when it comes down to motivating yourself to move. There are so many simple answers to getting up and moving that we don’t even take the time to consider when we really do need to. This is especially true when you live with an underactive thyroid because you need to be able to counteract the effects and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Whether or not you choose to do this for yourself, is going to be about how you handle your attitude which I will discuss in another post. There are many good things to be found in Hypothyroidism and the Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise.