Andrea Beaman, Guest
Thyroid Nation
Andrea shares how too much exercise can have the opposite effect for some.
Exercising is essential to keep the body functioning properly, but we need to have a balance of many different types of exercises to be really healthy.
I had a client that was a high level marketing executive with a pretty stressful job, plus she ran 4-5x per week every morning before getting into the office, and did a spin class 2x per week.
You would think with that amount of exercising she would have no problem with her weight, but she did. She had hypothyroidism and could not lose that nagging twelve pounds that had been weighing her down for over a decade. She was frustrated that she could implement the best marketing strategies to win clients, but when it came to her weight she was constantly struggling.
I encouraged her to consider exercising less hard: only two times per week running or spinning, and incorporate daily walking and gentle Hatha Yoga classes into her routine on the other days.
She was extremely hesitant at first. She feared that if she stopped working out so hard she would blow up like a balloon!
But, when she finally moved beyond her fear, she lost ten pounds in the first month. She was shocked! She thought she had to exercise her brains out to lose weight, but that wasn’t the truth. She definitely needed to exercise, but she also needed a more balanced approach to the way she was exercising.
A young male student that attended one of my thyroid health cooking classes was running over seventy miles per week! Holy cow – that’s a lot of running! He was suffering with hypothyroidism
and he couldn’t sleep at night. His doctor told him to stop running! And, I agreed with the doc’s wise assessment. This guy was running himself right into adrenal fatigue!
Keep in mind that running won’t necessarily contribute to thyroid disease, but if you add in nutritional deficiencies, plus high stress, with an over-exercising routine, your body may be headed for a break down. Or, I should say, a slow down.
If you are over-exercising and not doing enough rejuvenative and restorative activities as well, you could drain your body’s deep energy reserves and will naturally start slowing down. Your body is doing this to protect you from burning out before your time.
And, for all of you ladies out there that are still getting your menstrual cycle every month… STOP exercising when you get your period! Especially, on the first and second day of your cycle. Exercising while you are bleeding is exhausting.
You are shedding your uterine lining and it’s like having an internal operation every month. That takes a toll on the physical body. You have to rest during that special time, otherwise you may damage your reproductive system and your reproductive capacity as well.
On the first day of your period it’s time to rest. If you want, do some simple stretching or deep breathing exercises, but no hardcore exercising.
Relax, take a walk, chill out, and get a massage.
If you need a reminder, think back to what you learned when you were a young child in school. If there is a period at the end of a sentence that means STOP! It’s not like a comma, where you take a pause or a breath and then keep going. It’s a period. STOP!
Exercise is imperative to good health, so keep exercising, but know when to run and when to rest.
Plus, I would highly recommend adding into your exercise routine some rejuvenating practices like Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Meditation. It could do wonders for your health.
If you need more help, find a professional trainer, like Christine Boutross, who can help you figure out which exercises are best for you and how often to do it.
About the Author
Andrea Beaman, (HHC, AADP, CHEF) is a nationally renowned Holistic Health Coach and Natural Foods Chef. Named one of the top 100 Most Influential Health and Fitness Experts of 2012 by Greatist.com, she is also a recipient of the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Award for Excellence in Health-Supportive Education and a Health Leadership award from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Since 1999, she has been teaching individuals and health practitioners how to harness the body’s own preventative and healing powers with nutritional practices that are: Seasonal, local and organic, Aligned with your environment and unique biochemistry, Rooted in traditional wisdom, intuition, and common sense and Focused on the physical, emotional and spiritual contributors to good health Almost 20 years ago, she was diagnosed with an “incurable” disease. The doctor recommended destroying her thyroid with radiation. she listened with discernment and said, “No freaking way!”. Instead, she focused on healing her body with natural, wholesome foods and improvements in her lifestyle and consciousness. Four months later, her readings had gone from dangerous to just above normal. Two years later, her thyroid symptoms were gone (along with several others). She felt great and was 25 pounds lighter. It wasn’t “a diet,” it was a journey, and what’s more, it was delicious! Find her at her website, on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Be sure to check out all of her amazing books, Health Is Wealth – Make a Delicious Investment in You! and The Whole Truth Eating and Recipe Guide.
Questions or anything to ask Andrea about exercise and balance? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please!
