Hi! I’m Megan, a registered dietitian living with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. In this blog post I will be sharing the facts but also my personal experiences.
Have you ever wondered if the type of exercise you do affects your Hashimoto’s Disease? Well, this blog post will explore that topic using evidence-based research!
What is inflammation?
The key factor here is inflammation–it is a complex process, however, I’ll describe it in simple terms. Inflammation is your body’s natural response to something that is harming it. This could be an injury, infection, allergen, etc. Signs of inflammation that you may experience include:
- Pain
- Redness
- Swelling
- Itching
- Heat
Once your body has defeated the invader, it settles down and the inflammation stops. Inflammation is like a superhero in these instances, but with our busy and stressful daily lives, inflammation can become chronically elevated. This may result in burnout, fatigue, and exhaustion, and may make your Hashimoto’s symptoms worse.
In turn, the type of exercise you engage in may have a role in contributing to excess inflammation and stress on your body.
Why does the Type of Exercise Matter if I have Hashimoto’s Disease?
Exercise greatly benefits our health. Lower inflammatory markers (such as CRP and IL-6) have been seen in those who engage in regular physical activity (1). However, these two inflammatory markers are commonly elevated in people with Hashimoto’s (2).
Some types of exercise can cause more stress on our body, and therefore, more inflammation, than others. In a 2019 systematic review by Frontiers in Physiology, intense and long exercise with little recovery periods led to higher levels of inflammatory markers…in other words… inflammation (3).
What Are the Best Exercises for Hashimoto’s Disease?
The best exercises for Hashimoto’s Disease are strength training and low to moderate-intensity exercises.
Strength training is the most beneficial type of exercise if you have hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto’s.
Why?
Because strength training builds our muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat (4) so, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be.
Two of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism are the inability to lose weight and excessive weight gain. I’ve been there before, and it is not a fun time–I did all of the right things, like eating healthy and exercising, but my weight wouldn’t budge.
So, my number one priority became building more muscle mass to increase my metabolism and hopefully lose some fat.
That’s why my weekly exercise routine includes 3-4 days of strength training (push/pull/legs split) and 1-2 days of cardio (30 minutes of incline walking or a 1-mile run with a cool-down walk).
Other beneficial exercises for Hashimoto’s Disease include:
- Yoga
- Cycling
- Pilates
- Walking
- Incline Walking
Yoga and pilates are low-intensity but they still work your muscle groups. Yoga is great for reducing stress and focusing on being in the moment. With Hashimoto’s disease, you want to minimize stress as much as possible to keep inflammation at bay.
And don’t underestimate something as simple as walking! You don’t have to break a sweat in order for exercise to “count” as exercise. You are still moving your body. If walking is your jam, do that! Listen to a podcast, call a friend, or explore nature!
If you want more of a challenge, try the 12/3/30 walk on the treadmill. This translates to a 12% incline, 3 miles per hour, for 30 minutes. In the beginning, it is hard (you might have to lower the % incline or speed) but it is a great workout that will help you break a sweat while not overexerting yourself.
Next, let’s talk about what exercises you should limit if you have Hashimoto’s Disease.
What Exercises Are Not Recommended for Hashimoto’s Disease?
If you love fitness like me, you’ve probably been to indoor spin classes, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) training like CrossFit or Orange Theory, long-distance running, and the like. I used to do these classes ALL of the time because I liked how I broke a sweat and the encouraging coaches who pushed me to my limits.
The problem is, these types of classes may promote inflammation and keep your cortisol elevated. Cortisol is an important hormone for our body’s stress response and immune function and is necessary in small amounts.
But there can be too much of a good thing. When cortisol becomes consistently elevated (due to stress or overtraining), this can potentially contribute to inflammation and may impact thyroid function.
In a 2021 meta-analysis of 10 controlled studies, research revealed a significant increase of cortisol immediately after, 30 minutes after, and 60 minutes after a single HIIT session. However, levels returned to baseline values after 24 hours (5).
HIIT does have many benefits like improving cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity (6), as well as burning more calories post-workout. But, if you do engage in HIIT, rest and recovery is important. I recommend HIIT in moderation anywhere between 1 to 3 times per week.
Final Thoughts
Recently, I’ve been all about reducing stress on my body to lower my TPO antibodies (one of the markers of inflammation in Hashimoto’s Disease). That is why I’ve been choosing low-impact exercise over HIIT classes and distance running.
When I engage in intense exercise, it sometimes causes my neck to feel a bit swollen which makes exercise more bothersome.
It seems like everyone around me is in their “runner girl era” running half-marathons and joining distance run clubs and sometimes I feel left out. But then I remember that I’m doing what is best for my health and engaging in the exercises that I enjoy. I do NOT enjoy long-distance running and that is OK. A brief 1-2 mile run is enough for me.
In the end, it all comes down to the individual. The best exercises for Hashimoto’s will vary from person to person due to factors like personal preference, fitness level, and disease severity.
Do you want to improve your thyroid health through diet and lifestyle changes? Apply to work with me 1:1 today!