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~ Return to Nutter's Diabetes Living Information Home Page ~ 
Get a Step CounterEvery step counts! Some advocates recommend reaching for a total of 10,000 steps a day but that number can seem daunting to the beginner. Start by wearing a step counter for a day or two and recording your number of steps. Then, day by day, slowly increase the number of steps you take. You might try:
Use the “3 x 10” Rule Experts advise exercising 30 minutes per day. If that time frame is too long or you just can’t find a 30-minute frame to yourself each day, then try to find three 10-minute periods where you either walk, step in place, dance or anything that increases your activity level for a full ten minutes. If you’re watching TV for an hour, get up off the couch during commercial breaks. There’s at least 10 minutes right there!! Find Your Time Not everyone enjoys exercising at the same time each day. Some people might be morning exercisers. Some like to walk at lunch in the oh-so-good-for-you sunshine. Others are evening exercisers. Just try to complete your exercising well before your regularly scheduled bedtime. Record Your Progress Everyone likes to see progress and you’d be surprised how inspiring it is to watch your own day-to-day progress. Create your own progress sheet and put it on the fridge. Get yourself some gold stars and mark your best weeks! Or, print out this Weekly Workout Watch to help get you started. Multitask If you feel guilty taking time to yourself, multi-task! Put on some great dance music and fold clothes at the same time. Read a book on the treadmill. Buy yourself an iPod and listen to podcasts while you walk. Buy an instructional CD and maybe learn a second language as you stroll through the park. You’ll just have to get used to those funny looks as you’re repeating “Good Morning” out loud in Italian. Here’s a few good links for more insight: “Exercise is a cornerstone in the management of diabetes and the prevention of diabetic complications. It can help people avoid or control type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. For people with type 1 diabetes, exercise contributes to general health and reduces the risk of double diabetes.” Read the full article Overcoming Barriers from the American Diabetes Association Types of Exercise What Should I Do to Get Started on a Physical Activity Rountine?  Brisk walking is a great way to be active. Be sure you have proper walking shoes. Walk in safe places, such as indoor or or outdoor walking paths, a shopping mall or a gymnasium. Dancing is also a fun way to be active. Get off the couch, turn on the music and move! are recommendations only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, nor a replacement for prescriptions. Always seek medical advice for any health concerns from a qualified medical health care professional before using any recommendations contained in Nutter's articles. |
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