Hypothyroidism, Exercise, & Weight

[MissFehly]

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism after 6 years of symptoms, am on Synthroid, and want to start working out.  I have not gained any weight at all with my thyroid disorder, which apparently is rare.  All the forums and papers I find online are about working out to lose weight, I just want to tone up and be in shape.  But can I tolerate exercise?  Cardio?  
Any credible info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Barb135]

I'm not sure what you mean  -  "But can I tolerate exercise?  Cardio?"  

Do you have a heart problem or other health issues that might prevent working out?  It's always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program, but most people can exercise and do as normal.  

The first thing I'd recommend is to try yoga - it works to strengthen the core muscles and really is good to tone and firm.  You can get dvd's for beginners that go at a slower pace, until you work into something more..............  

[MissFehly]

My husband is a personal trainer and tried training me yesterday.  He did some very basic stuff with me, stuff that shouldn't have made me feel the way that I did.  My vision started going black, I got dizzy, the lighting in the room seemed to dim significantly, and it just made me feel horrible.  Considering how active I used to be this is very discouraging.  
When I was 18 I first started showing thyroid symptoms but lost a lot of weight and had absolutely no appetite.  I was told first that I had Mitral Valve Prolapse, then a broken cordae (not sure if I'm spelling that right), then told nothing is wrong with me, it's in my head, and they tried giving me anti-anxiety medication.
So as far as if I have a heart condition or not, I don't know.  They told me after the transosaphageal (again, spelling) that absolutely nothing is wrong with my heart, but I still think about it a lot because I still have orthostatic hypotension even though this has decreased significantly since I got on the Synthroid.

[Barb135]

I'm not sure what would have caused those things to happen -- but if you haven't been active in a while, you should definitely start out slowly.  And as I noted before, you should maybe check with your doctor to make sure exercise is safe.  

I have a leaky aortic valve and am now waiting to find out how bad it is and what the next step will be and I still exercise, though I have a problem with shortness of breath, so keep it slow and easy.  

I'm sure some others will be along soon with further comments.

[MissFehly]

Thanks for your comments.  The broken chordae is what scares me most, if I DO have it and they just didn't see it in that final test it could throw a clot & I could stroke out.  This does scare me, I'm only 24 and have had this thought in the back of my mind for 6 years.
I've always been active, I was a roofer, general contract, cleaned houses, etc...  

[acker]

good luck, it's devastating to go from very active to doing very little - you just have to not overdo anything! that's your best chance. just have to do everything gradually. yes, unusual to not be packing on any weight, wonder if it's something additional. yoga is pretty good... you'll probably find it some of it easy.