Exercise advice please.

[elabgud]

Hello! I am trying to start exercising after about a year without any structured exercise. I have found a combined program of HIIT and Pilates . Has anybody any experience with this combination of exercise that they would be willing to share please? Alternatively, if anyone has another exercise program that they found useful, I would love to hear about it. Thank you Elaine.

[greygoose]

Can I ask why you are trying to start exercising? Do you know what your FT3 is? Because, if it's low, it's really not advisable to do any exercising apart from gentle walking and swimming - perhaps some yoga. I think that combination would be too much for you if your FT3 isn't optimal.

[elabgud in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your reply . My GP only tests my TSH levels as she believes that to be the best indication of how a thyroid is working. I am not due a review until October but doubt she will be willing to test me for anything other than her 'norm'. I am trying to exercise as I feel unfit and am putting more weight on than I am comfortable with. I know it sounds vain but I would like to be the me before hypothyroidism took over. Kind regards Elaine.

[greygoose in reply to elabgud]

No, it doesn't sound vain. I perfectly understand. But, you do know that exercise is not going to help you lose the weight, don't you? In fact, if your T3 isn't optimal, it could make you put more on.

You are putting on weight because your T3 is low, and therefore your metabolism is low, but you aren't going to raise your metabolism in the absence of T3.

You have a doctor, like so many others, that is incapable of thinking for herself, and thinks that everything she learnt in med school is gospel! It isn't. TSH is a very bad indicator of thyroid status - not 'how your thyroid is working', because it isn't working, you are on thyroid hormone replacement (I imagine! how much?). There are too many variables with the TSH.

So, the best thing you can do, is get private tests, so that you have a better idea of what is going on. You need :

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPOab

TgAB

vit d

vit B12

folate

ferritin

You can get all these from a finger-prick test (details on HU main page). And they are all very important to how you feel.

When you get the results, post them on here, with the ranges, and members will be able to advise. You will not lose weight if your FT3, or any of your nutrients, are low.

[elabgud in reply to greygoose]

Thank you again for your excellent advice. I will look into the private tests you suggest and will ask for further advice as you suggest. Even though my diagnosis was nearly five years ago, I still have much to learn about living with hypothyroidism and am grateful for such helpful advice. Kind regards Elaine.

[greygoose in reply to elabgud]

You're welcome.

I've been hypo for most of my life - on thyroid hormone replacement for the last 16/17 years, but I'm still learning new things every day.

[Magic777]

Hi if you feel up to it the walking is excellent hitt is gor if you feel very well as its hard and effects alot of the agrenals and thyroid some light weights to tone or your own body weight in compound moves and see how you feel weights inprove the whole body and sre low impact low stress it all teally depends on whst you have done in the past .cardio is very overated except for walking it needs to be built in slowly you aslo need to eat better with it i mean to not impact too much on the weightloss if you want that .slow and steady so that you can stick at it and feel good .exercise as tou know is a lifestyle choice the body was meant for movement and a rebounder is great fun not expensie and moves all of you .muscle mass has to be maintained .what ever you did before go for that and plenty of stretching .good luck lx

[elabgud in reply to Magic777]

Thank you for your reply. I have heard a few people say that walking has proved to be a good exercise and considered this as well. Having tried some HIIT a couple of years ago, I know what I am letting myself in for. However, as you say you need to feel well and maybe I need to be a little kinder to myself and start with walking and possibly progress from there. Kind regards Elaine.

[Magic777 in reply to elabgud]

Good just be kind stick at it enjoy it and dont do it if it hurts or you feel not up to it .☺

[elabgud in reply to Magic777]

Thank you for your advice. Slow and steady will be the way to go! Kind regards Elaine.

[Ruby1]

I too have been trying to get fitter and had started running/walking - less than 20 mins at a time, 3 times a week. It was all going well until my husband passed me his cold virus!!

I have invested in a Fitbit type watch from Garmin which measures steps, sleep, calories, floors climbed and vibrates to tell you to move when you've sat still for too long. It has been fun and has also made me aware of how sedentary I can be! In fact it's been a bit of a nag when I've been ill ha ha!

I do find exercising can wipe me out, but I think as you become fitter it gets better. I've only ever had my TSH tested too, I must admit, but I do find that if I up my exercise and cut out the alcohol and biscuits, I do lose weight, so perhaps I am one of the lucky ones.

Good luck and enjoy!

[elabgud in reply to Ruby1]

Thank you for your reply. My son has a fitbit and I know he finds it useful. I am going to start walking and see how that goes. I have ordered the plus 10 test from Blue Horizon and hope to post the results for further advice. I hope that you feel better soon. Kind regards Elaine.

[linlow]

(As the tail end of what is currently 10 years since diagnosis) I am just coming out of a 2 year+ period of being unable to undertake any structured exercise, some days without any kind of exercise at all - not even putting the kettle on. Plus I spent a long time on T4 only treatment and piled on weight every time I popped a pill in my mouth. So I know the desperation you are probably going through. As greygoose has suggested, exercise is not a good way to lose weight. Exercise is for fitness, diet is for fat. Having said that, when I managed to persuade my GP to send me to see an endo and persuaded him to prescribe T3 I saw an almost immediate drop in my weight.

On top of that I went on a LCHF diet for a month and am now back below my pre-illness weight. Although I am not doing the LCHF full time now I am still keeping an eye on my weight and if it goes up by 4 lb or more and stays up for more than 2 days I go back to the diet for a day or 2 to bring it back down. This is working well. authoritynutrition.com/low-...

As far as exercise goes I do not have a lot of spare energy and what I do have is soon depleted so going for a walk is out of the question for me. Sometimes just walking to the end of our street is too much (and there are only 4 houses in the whole street). I do have a lot of stairs in the house so could just hike up and down them but, again, my energy might, and does, collapse going in the wrong direction. So, from preference I use a rebounder (mini trampet). I have this set up where I can just collapse safely if necessary. I find that, although it exercises more muscles than stair climbing, I can achieve more, keep going for longer periods and feel more benefit from it. Plus I can gear the exercises I do to the energy level I have at exercise time. 10 minutes on a rebounder has the same fitness benefit as 30 minutes or more of the same level of intensity running or jogging (something I couldn't dream of doing in a month of Sunday's). chrisbeatcancer.com/rebound...

Next time you go see your doctor you might want to arm yourself with the information contained in any or all of these documents (this is what greygoose was hinting at about TSH not being a good indicator and these are just the tip of the iceberg as far as information that is available):

Treating Thyroid patients like children by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/...

A piece that explains how the thyroid hormone actually goes to work in the body (and why TSH is not a good measure or T4 reliable supplementation) Thyroid Hormone Transport - National Academy of Hypothyroidism nahypothyroidism.org/thyroi...

A research paper detailing why T4 may not result in appropriateT3 levels ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/119...

An analysis of the research Study Shows that the Addition of T3 is Superior to Levothyroxine/T4-Only verywell.com/t3-superior-t4...

[greygoose in reply to linlow]

Oh yes! I bought myself a rebounder, because I'd read what great exercise it was. It drains the lymph, as well. I really must get round to using it...

[elabgud in reply to greygoose]

That sounds encouraging and I am looking into getting a rebounder. I owned one many years ago but it gathered dust and I sadly gave it away. I went out walking yesterday and really enjoyed it so I am hoping to combine walking and rebounding maybe on alternate days. Kind regards Elaine.

[linlow in reply to greygoose]

Oh well done Yes, it's not going to do you much good sat in the box

Does yours have a steady bar? Mine just has an upright but I find it invaluable for being able to exercise when my balance isn't good.

If I have low energy I just do a very limited movement, probably less than an1" all told, by pressing my heels down hard. If I have more energy I can even work up to bouncing maybe a couple of inches into the air. A good exercise is to stand with one leg straight and stamp the heel of the other down hard. I use it to walk or run on the spot. You can put different stresses on muscles by standing feet together or apart, legs straight or bent or any other combination you can think of. You can do it standing, kneeling or sitting. It is great because there is no jarring involved as there would be in doing the same thing on a hard surface.

[elabgud in reply to linlow]

Thank you for your reply. You have raised some points about exercise that will be helpful. Regarding my GP, I have taken various information received from links on this wonderful group. My GP would not look at the info, told me there was no such treatment as T3 and said to stay away from health groups or info as "the Internet is a dangerous place!" This is the same practice that gave my husband printouts from the Internet regarding his hyperthyroidism. What chance do I have? On the plus side, my GP is good with non thyroid stuff,

[linlow in reply to elabgud]

That is why I provided a research paper, an analysis by a group of practising thyroid specialists and analysis of the situation by an open minded GP - not anecdotal evidence. All of these are readily available on the internet, just don't mention that you were given the links on a health group - say you found them yourself looking through research papers because you are concerned about your deteriorating health.

There are none so blind as those who will not see. Unfortunately the vast majority of NHS medical professionals are extremely myopic when it comes to treatment of thyroid problems. Having said that even NICE acknowledge T3 treatment even if it isn't on the 'recommended' list for primary care practitioners. If you feel well on T4 only treatment that is fine, if you don't then that is a different matter. You might be due for review in October but that does not mean you have to wait until then whilst still unable to cope. NICE guidelines state : 'Combination therapy with LT4 and LT3 may be considered by endocrinology specialists as an experimental approach in people who have persistent symptoms despite compliance with LT4 treatment and a TSH value in the normal range' cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid... Should you still have little success your current GP, if there is more than one at your practice, I would ask to see one of the others or, alternatively, change practice. Fortunately I see a very open-mined GP (though not the one whose book I am on) who willingly sent me to see an endocrinologist who, almost as willingly, prescribed combination therapy.

[elabgud in reply to linlow]

Thank you once again for this information. I will read through the research you mention to give me the best chance with my GP. I have considered seeing other GPs in the practice but have been warned that they all 'sing from the same hymn sheet' and therefore I have been self medicating with NDT for about a year. Levothyroxine did not work for me and I have been told by my practice that I am not a suitable candidate to see an Endocrinologist at my local hospital. My husband who is hyperthyroid sees the Endocrinologist and has regular blood tests on a shared care basis. My sister was hyperthyroid but had her thyroid removed and now is fluctuating between hyper and hypo. So whilst I am not as good as I know I could be, I am thankful that I can try to make myself feel a little better with the help of this lovely and knowledgeable group and kind people such as yourself willing to offer advice and support. Kind regards Elaine.

[linlow in reply to elabgud]

I went through every GP at the surgery before finding the one I now use on a regular basis. He is very open minded so I consider myself lucky viewed against some of the horror stories I hear on here.

Levothyroxine worked, for me, initially but after a while I seemed to lose all benefit. That was when I asked for the T3 and my GP sent me to see an endo as he didn't have the authority to prescribe it himself. Even with the endo's say so the head of practice (my own registered GP) wouldn't allow it so I have to keep going back to the hospital. I asked the endo about NDT but he referred me back to the surgery about that - and as far as the surgery is concerned NDT is a big No No.

Best of luck with your tribulations, I hope that you get sorted out. Keep fighting, you have a right to good health.