OK, so I've read that hypothyroidism left untreated for many years causes changes to muscles and so I guess this is why I've gone from being very strong and active to barely being able to carry my handbag!
I've decided its about time for me to try to regain some strength so have booked a Pilates lesson this week to try it out. I did check with them that an old feeble woman could manage and they said yes
They also do yoga and wondered about that.
Do these sound like a good idea? Or any other suggestions would be great.
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bobsmydog
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Pilates is a great idea. I do two classes a week. In 6 week blocks. So we do 6 weeks at 2 classes a week then have a week off.
Don't know about the yoga, never tried it.
How about some resistance band work too? You can use a stretchy rubber band and it works against you. Using your own strength. Look for a resistance band workout.
One thing you didnT make clear though, exactly how large is your handbag?
I have found if I don't take my adrenal support I get an awful lot of muscle weakness, this varies from not being able to hold my arm up for long to feeling weak trying to get up the stairs.
I may be wrong but I feel well supported adrenals help our muscles feel stronger and tire less easily.
I started teaching yoga at 65 and have three classes a week ! Now in my 4th year. I say guiding rather than teaching as I am not qualified - just years of experiences
Practising the asanas balances the chakras - and each chakra resonates with an endocrine gland - so balancing the chakras - in turn balances the endocrine system. I certainly feel better - and as everyone keeps coming along - I guess they do too ! It certainly works your muscles by stretching them - which enables them to relax afterwards. Tight muscles are not so healthy....making people more prone to injury.
Pilates is very good too .... Good luck with whatever you choose - maybe both ?
I practice yoga and it flows so much better in heat. In summer I am like a bendy elastic band and during an English winter I get all stiff and achey like an old lady.
You need to be patient and your strength will return. Your muscles are one of several major targets for thyroid hormones to do their job, especially those which are used for prolonged effort (your slow-twitch muscles).
Your previous T4 medication won't have given you any T3 which is actively transported from your blood into your muscles so you see a definite lessening of your muscular strength.
Natural Desiccated Thyroid, which has all five hormones should reverse the inherent muscle wasting.
I have suffered a feeling of being drunk every time I try any aerobic activity and at present am looking to add T3 to my Levothyroxine.
I hope you are taking thyroid replacement therapy now. I would start of with something slow like Yoga and walking. Work your way up. Maybe even get some light hand weights for your arms.
I love my Yoga, it does seem to help and I come away from class feeling very relaxed. I always have a really good night's sleep after Yoga too. MariLiz
I know that feeling, bobsmydog. I was very, very strong until the hypo. took over. Even in the later stages, before diagnosis, I could climb scaffolding like a monkey and decorated my house (ceilings 16' high) without any problems. Now...I can barely hold a paint brush for longer than five minutes without my muscles aching; holding my arms above my head for longer than a minute is very painful.
I have been going to pilates classes once a week for about 8 years now and am getting worse, not better. I'm the only one in the class who has to do less demanding moves - quite demoralising. Of course, one never knows if one would have been worse not doing pilates in the first place. My muscles are extremely tight so stretching is good for them, although they don't seem to stretch much these days.
I am on T3 only, quite a high does, so would not expect to be still suffering muscle wasting. It is so frustrating; I used to be physically invincible. (Brought up on a farm and able to pitch bales from morn 'til night.)
Oh dear, Penny, same here - brought up on farm and then a farmer myself for 20 years (oh the hay barn late at night...) then a baker, and then renovated houses with lots of cement and plastering and so on. How the mighty have fallen! What can we do, except keep on trying I suppose? Or maybe accept that this is our lot now?
It is really hard to accept that this is it. I know that I should take more exercise but when everything aches that is difficult; also the chores seem to take longer these days.
I didn't farm on my own account and stopped farm work when my father died almost thirty years' ago. I've always done bits and bobs to my houses but must confess that I've not tried plastering. I trained in surveying, which has helped over the years, not least the legal side of things. I now do Body Realignment - which is ironic (or not) as I need 'fixing' too. They say that we choose things of which we are in need. I do get some treatments from a colleague, which help tremendously, but I need many years of work to compensate for the decades of heavy lifting and hypothyroidism. I've also found that Reiki helps and I trained in this so that I can self-treat.
When one is young one doesn't envisage a time when physical things are difficult.
Hi Penny, just wanted to add that I've found Reiki helpful too, I tried it initially to help the fibromyalgia. It is very relaxing and seems to switch off some of the pain. I have a week of very vivid dreams after a session.
Bobsmydog, please remember that you can't build up muscle out of thin air. For a start, it needs lots of protein. Secondly, your hormones need to be optimal and balanced. You need testosterone and you need HGH. To produce HGH, you need good levels of T3 - it all comes back to T3 - but exercise uses up your T3... So, it has to be optimal. You have to be converting well, or taking T3 in order to build your muscles up.
I have been doing yoga now for 2 years once a week and never miss a lesson, I love it. However when I first went to the lessons I couldn't do anything, I went home and cried like the big drip I am. I left it a year and went back to give it another go, best thing I ever did. I can now do everything albeit badly, have made some lovely friends all of us being ladies of a certain age. I will never give it up. Go for it old girl, I am sure you will love it!!
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