Most of us find exercising difficult enough as it is. I mean, who actually gets up in the morning craving a run instead of a giant chocolate chip muffin? Anyone? I don’t think I’m alone in saying that, truthfully, despite the successive endorphin rush, despite the increased muscle tone and flexibility, despite being able to eat that muffin without immediate food guilt, the actual practice of exercising is one I’d very much avoid if it didn’t mean me being more unhealthy than I have to be.
But I think my attitude towards exercise is very much a symptom of my thyroid issues too. Like right now, for example, I’m putting off the gym indefinitely, and even knowing it’s costing me so much money isn’t much of a motivation to just get up and do it. I’m not sitting around eating candy and chips either, because my low thyroid has stolen my appetite (but continues to make me fatter). I’m just sitting here dreading it, because my muscles are sore from doing nothing and I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. Once I get on that treadmill, I honestly don’t know if I’ll have energy to give.
The really annoying thing is, literally a month ago I was in a good place with my fitness. No, I didn’t enjoy the actual exercise part one bit, but it was really amazing to be able to run ten minutes on the treadmill without stopping (serious, an achievement for me) or go to my weekly pilates class and actually be able to do everything without defaulting to child’s pose. But alas, the nature of these problems seems to be that whenever you seem to be hitting your stride, your body starts to fail you. For the past five years, my thyroid has been trolling me like this. The bastard!
But I’m still determined to live my life as if my immune system isn’t attacking me. Sometimes I don’t quite make it, but everyday I’m learning more about my condition and what I can actively do to kick its ass.
Here are my tired girl tips for being a thyroid warrior in the gym:
1. Don’t eat sugar before exercising. Sugar is a huge vice for me, but it makes me feel sick and I burn out quickly from the high. About an hour or two before I exercise, I eat a light meal with protein, such as a tuna salad and gluten-free carbohydrates such as rice to keep my energy levels up.
2. Drink, like, a tonne of water. This is obvious, but when your thyroid is screwing up sometimes you lose those important reflexes. I used to be so chronically dehydrated that I didn’t even have a thirst reflex anymore! Exercising is a good reminder to drink as much pure, cold, refreshing water as possible.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. I go to a pretty busy gym and one of the most demotivating things is watching really fit people going a hundred times your rate. Having thyroid issues means you may have to start at a really low level before you can move up. Just concentrate on your own progress and congratulate yourself for even getting there in the first place.
4. Don’t push yourself. The amount of shaming disguised as motivation on Pinterest and other platforms disgusts me. It’s not wrong to realise where your limits are and stay in that safety zone until you feel comfortable to push further. If you have hyperthyroidism, for example, it may not be safe to do intense cardio as your heart rate could get too high. Always be aware of your limits and stop immediately when it gets dangerous. More than being safe, keeping a slow yet steady progress will stop you from burning out early.
5. Relaaaaaaax. The best part of exercise is always the calm, chill-out bit at the end. A gentle yoga class or even stretching will help you get rid of those thyroid-related anxieties and give you a new appreciation for your body.
6. Recovery is key. When you work out your body, it may go into shock and turn into a tight, painful bundle of muscles. Cooling down after each workout, stretching and massaging sore, tense muscles will help them recover faster so you don’t feel like a truck ran over you the next day.
7. Expect pain (but know which one is good). Seriously, so many of us give up early because it’s hard. Well, duh! If it was easy, everyone would do it and we’d all be beasts. So, yes, go into exercise expecting it to be painful. But know which kind of pain is normal and which isn’t! (A mild burn is good, a sharp pain isn’t).
8. Go with friends. Friends motivate each other, but they also know what to do if one suddenly passes out from exhaustion on the elliptical machine.
9. Be distracted. Whether you’re watching TV, listening to your favourite jams or taking a nature walk, outside distractions nearly almost maybe make those exercise pains go away.
10. Motivate yourself. Exercise is the best way to keep your metabolism going and your weight normal. By constantly reminding yourself of this (stick it on your fridge), it won’t seem like so much of a sacrifice of your precious time and energy.
Phew! Even writing that was a workout! (Just kidding… kind of). Fellow thyroid warriors, what are your best tips for working out when you really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really don’t want to?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below!
The Butterfly Effect 