Successful high intensity interval training whilst hypo

[Danielj1]

Hi everyone,

Not posted here for a long while but if anyone can remember way back I started a mission to get super fit and retstart road racing for my age group again about a couple of years back with intensive support from a sports nutritionist.

After a number of stops and starts (read some of the very old posts if of interest), more recently serious progress is finally underway. So for example this week I did 6x500m interval repeats at 15kmh on Tuesday and 4x1.5km repeats on Thursday at 13 kmh (I am in my late 50s so these are much slower than in my 40s but much better than a few years back when hypo really kicked in).

I combine these sessions with 3 hours a week of resistance training, plyometrics and pilates style stretching and this is keeping me injury free.

My target is a sub 20 5km at 60 years which will take a load more weight loss and hitting the intervals even harder.

What has been the biggest surprise is quite how much now I really enjoy these hard sessions and how much it improves mental health and resilience - especially whilst i can keep them injury free.

There is emerging evidence over this high intensity stuff really helping heart health (Norwegian research) and a US medic is finding it helps reduce belly and visceral fat and really lower inflammation - major goal for someone like me with long term hypo issues.

Still stick to the same supplements as noted in earlier posts and these still seem critical - the only thing that has helped most recently is to raise dairy fat, nut fat (walnuts) and olive oil so being mindful of improving omega 3/6 balance. Also use a fait amount of vegan protein powder to supplement other protein sources like fish and eggs.

There has been every excuse to give up on this journey as the early months of high intensity led to physical injury and raised cortisol as I did not have the aerobic capacity to support the energy demands on the body. But now that I am in a place where this all seems to have come together I can only say that I am thrilled with the improved sense of physical well being.

So if you have tried to push on your physical limits, dont give up too easily and better still find an expert to help you with your specific requirements.

And I fully understand many here cannot simply fathom even the thought of any of all this - when i started being aware of my hypo before being diagnosed mowing the lawn was enough exercise to just about knock me out - so I do understand we are all on different journeys here with different needs.

Will report back again in a few more months once I hit some 5k races. Wishing everyone here all the very best health and sad I have not been able to be active here and involved with reading and responding to other posts for quite some while

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

oh wow! Thanks for the update 👏 so so pleased for you.

I too am slowly slowly getting my strength back, bicep curling 7.5kg now which for me is unheard of, I started off with body weight only a really long time ago, now managing 4 sets of 4 reps of a range of exercises lasting 20+ minutes and can walk as far as I want. A 2 hour intensive iyengar yoga session doesn’t leave me with 5 day DOMs anymore. We’ve been hitting the sauna too, can’t recommend that highly enough.

Onward! Keep inspiring us 🙏

[ThyroidieGriaffe]

So impressed! I also run but half to marathons are my preferred distance, so a lot slower! I have not given my running up because of my thyroid, and I have found it is possible to train at intensity with hypo. Running is too much of what I am to stop. Good luck with the target of sub 20 at 60!

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to ThyroidieGriaffe]

You are so lucky to be able to continue, I’ve sat in the podiatrist office blubbering because he’s told me I have to stop, the tendon damage caused by running while hypo before my diagnosis is permanent.

It took a long time to find something that really challenged me without injury recurrence in shoulder, ankle etc etc. Tried wattbikes, sprinting in the bike flared up the ankle more. I love boot camp style circuits and in another life would do cross training if I could. I trained in a boxing gym in my 30s-40s.

I’m loving what I am doing now but envious of that running feel, enjoy ☺️ 🏃‍♀️

[Astrido]

Thanks DanielJ1, an inspiring post. Been feeling a bit hopeless about physical health and aging in the face of the thyroid aspect. Have been getting back into exercise but slowly slowly, hoping to be more structured about it next year eg signing up for some group events.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Astrido]

Good for you, what kind of events?

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Fantastic update 😀

I must admit I finally joined the gym last week as the weather was starting to hold me back, after 18 months building up my stamina and recovery (like you mowing the lawn was more than enough!) walking, a little running and rowing.

I've been able to make a good start adding a whole range of classes generally 2 a day, which have add in my lacking twisting and stretching 😬 followed by the sauna....🥵which seems to be rather more like a confessional and all sorts of interesting conversation are had, I've already guided a Graves and early stages Hypo to join us here... so I'm finding it good for exercising my social skills and reintegrating into society as I'm generally not inclined... must admit I had a bit of an anxiety attack after the initial tour around the alien hi tech spaceship with all it's noise, smell and harsh lighting, I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

I had to have a stern word with myself before I committed for 2 months and a week in I'm coping well, with HRV still steadily climbing 😁

Does that make me a missionary... taking our hard earned knowledge to the people 😅

[Tina_Maria]

I am very happy for you that you have managed to increase your exercise - that's a fantastic achievement, as we all know it can be difficult to do intense exercise with being hypothyroid as well.

The only think I would like to mention is, listen to your body and try not to do too much too soon. Intense exercise requires an increased demand on T3 and the thyroid would normally produce additional T3 to compensate. With thyroid disease, your body cannot produce its own T3, as your T3 can only come from the medication you take. So intense exercise could deplete your T3 levels more than your usual requirements, so you may find that you might have to adjust your medication to account for the intense exercise and the extra need for T3.

Wishing you the very best with your fitness regimen.

[Danielj1 in reply to Tina_Maria]

Tina, very much agree with you here and that is why it has been almost 2 years now to be in a position to enjoy and thrive on the harder intensity stuff. I am very mindful when I am not feeling 100% to back right off and not trigger extreme cortisol/stress response and as you say T3 issues. Do not get it right all the time deffo, but certainly feel a ton better than before. thanks for reposnding!

[tattybogle]

This may interest you Danielj1 (effects of HIIT on thyroid hormone levels) : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Danielj1]

Thanks Tatty, I am finding that different periods of intensity have very different impacts - so 500m repeats that last maybe 2mins are actually OK, but when I extend to 1.5km repeats that last 8+mins I feel really knocked out the next day.

[tattybogle in reply to Danielj1]

yes , i had to learn to 'reign it in' quite precisely to avoid crashing too badly , which was not easy cos i'm naturally more of a 'keep going till i have to stop' kind of person ,

not exercise , i mean just doing intensive stuff like sawing wood or such like , the amount i can do in one go is very fine tuned ,and when it's time to stop , it really is , like right at that moment, ... if i stop short i can carry on shortly after , if i ignore it and go on too long , i've blown it for the rest of the day and most of the next one)

[Danielj1 in reply to tattybogle]

I am probably a lot lot older than you but I am learning the same lessons at more advanced years