Our modern world has become easy. We live in climate controlled houses, get in our climate controlled cars, and climate controlled offices and gyms. Over time, this makes us fragile. Ever notice that kids seem to be immune to swimming in cold water yet you get sick every time you travel? We have “endpoints” that our bodies get used to and if we don’t expose our bodies to difficult things, those endpoints narrow and then when we have to do something difficult, the body will let you know that it’s too much. Maybe you get sick, or maybe you develop pain. Whatever system in your body is most vulnerable, it shows up like a canary in a coal mine.
Read MoreIt is well known that those with hypothyroidism have poor tolerance to cold weather. The thyroid is heavily involved in metabolism and acts as a sort of thermostat for the body. When it becomes dysfunctional, it gets worse at regulating temperature and does not handle cold weather as well. Common advice is to avoid the cold. Is it possible that cold exposure is exactly what we should be doing? If we progressively improve the body’s tolerance to cold, can we influence the thyroid?
If you don’t have any access to cardio equipment, or just find cardio machines boring, there are other techniques to improve endurance. When I say endurance, I’m talking about the tolerance to that ‘burning’ feeling your muscles get when exercising.
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