Fitness Friday

I put on 15kg as a result of Hashimoto's Disease and hypothyroidism. To summarise a long bout of illness, I started to feel tired in my legs every day, and eventually it got to the point where I went to the doctor. I had one blood test, we caught a low thyroid count, I had one more blood test, and I got diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease.
I went from going to the gym three times a week and cycling to school, to suddenly being bedridden, which was made worse by a GP who wanted to send me to a specialist, which means between diagnosis and treatment, I spent an additional 8 weeks in bed.
Fortunately, within a month of starting to take the medication, I was feeling back to normal, but I was left with a lot of the weight, and I was back to square one in terms of how far I could run, or how much I could lift.
To try and solve both these problems, I really stepped up my exercises. When I'm healthy, my daily regimen is:
* 200 weighted squats
* 200 crunches
* 200 star jumps
* 10 minutes weight aerobics
* 5 minutes of "new" activities
* 30 minutes of alternating between running / walking
* 60 minutes walking

I've been pretty sick lately with a tummy-bug, so I halve the above exercises. I tend to do all the exercises inside while either watching television or listening to the radio. I like to go running through the bush (we're lucky to live so close), and I go walking with the dog through the same area.

In terms of new exercises, I either use the Internet or magazines and see what they recommend. Most libraries stock a range of fitness magazines, but there are some which aren't bad to pick up, if you can afford it.

Women's Health & Fitness: This magazine is a little bit disappointing, but it is worth borrowing for their occasional good articles and exercise routines.

Women's Fitness: I really enjoy reading through this, but occasionally it does get very clothes / make-up centric. However, I was really impressed that when talking about protein, it mentioned beans, tofu, and whatnot along the same lines as meat. It takes vegetarianism seriously, which is sometimes hard to find.

Running: I would probably buy this one, as it the most interesting articles (kind of amateurishly written, but with real content and research), and the most solid advice.