Find the Right Workout Buddy

Trying to get more physically active? You don’t have to go it alone. How about working out with a little help from your friends?

Buddies With Benefits

When you work out with a partner, you’re likely to:

  • Feel more motivated. When you and your buddy encourage each other, you’ll work harder (and get better results!). And there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.
  • Be more adventurous. It’s easier to try new things with a buddy. You may just find an activity you love, one that feels more like fun and less like a workout.
  • Be more consistent. When someone else is counting on you to show up, you won’t want to let them down.

To enjoy all those benefits, you’ll need the right workout buddy. Look for someone with the same goals, schedule, and commitment you have. Someone who makes you feel positive and inspires you to hit the trail or treadmill on a regular basis.

How do you find the right fit? Talk to friends, co-workers, neighbors, people at the gym. Or find a buddy closer to home: What about a hike with your dog, who thinks every walk is the best walk ever? Now quality time is also fitness time. Good move!

You already have your phone with you. Why not make it work? Try a social media workout app to connect with friends and others that share your goals and can help keep you motivated.

Even if you like to work out alone, changing things up with a buddy every once in a while can help you work out harder and learn new things. You can switch back to solo workouts any time.


How can I be physically active safely if I have diabetes?

 

Be sure to drink water before, during, and after exercise to stay well hydrated. The following are some other tips for safe physical activity when you have diabetes.

Plan ahead

Talk with your health care team before you start a new physical activity routine, especially if you have other health problems. Your health care team will tell you a target range for your blood glucose level and suggest how you can be active safely.

Your health care team also can help you decide the best time of day for you to do physical activity based on your daily schedule, meal plan, and diabetes medicines. If you take insulin, you need to balance the activity that you do with your insulin doses and meals so you don’t get low blood glucose.

Prevent low blood glucose

Because physical activity lowers your blood glucose, you should protect yourself against low blood glucose levels, also called hypoglycemia. You are most likely to have hypoglycemia if you take insulin or certain other diabetes medicines, such as a sulfonylurea. Hypoglycemia also can occur after a long intense workout or if you have skipped a meal before being active. Hypoglycemia can happen during or up to 24 hours after physical activity.

Planning is key to preventing hypoglycemia. For instance, if you take insulin, your health care provider might suggest you take less insulin or eat a small snack with carbohydrates before, during, or after physical activity, especially intense activity.5

You may need to check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after you are physically active.

Take care of your feet

People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because of poor blood flow and nerve damage that can result from high blood glucose levels. To help prevent foot problems, you should wear comfortable, supportive shoes and take care of your feet before, during, and after physical activity.

What physical activities should I do if I have diabetes?

Most kinds of physical activity can help you take care of your diabetes. Certain activities may be unsafe for some people, such as those with low vision or nerve damage to their feet. Ask your health care team what physical activities are safe for you. Many people choose walking with friends or family members for their activity.

Doing different types of physical activity each week will give you the most health benefits. Mixing it up also helps reduce boredom and lower your chance of getting hurt. Try these options for physical activity.

Add extra activity to your daily routine

If you have been inactive or you are trying a new activity, start slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes a day. Then add a little more time each week. Increase daily activity by spending less time in front of a TV or other screen. Try these simple ways to add physical activities in your life each day:

  • Walk around while you talk on the phone or during TV commercials.
  • Do chores, such as work in the garden, rake leaves, clean the house, or wash the car.
  • Park at the far end of the shopping center parking lot and walk to the store.
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Make your family outings active, such as a family bike ride or a walk in a park.

If you are sitting for a long time, such as working at a desk or watching TV, do some light activity for 3 minutes or more every half hour. Light activities include

  • leg lifts or extensions
  • overhead arm stretches
  • desk chair swivels
  • torso twists
  • side lunges
  • walking in place
Do aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is activity that makes your heart beat faster and makes you breathe harder. You should aim for doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day most days of the week. You do not have to do all the activity at one time. You can split up these minutes into a few times throughout the day.

To get the most out of your activity, exercise at a moderate to vigorous level. Try

  • walking briskly or hiking
  • climbing stairs
  • swimming or a water-aerobics class
  • dancing
  • riding a bicycle or a stationary bicycle
  • taking an exercise class
  • playing basketball, tennis, or other sports

Talk with your health care team about how to warm up and cool down before and after you exercise.

Do strength training to build muscle

Strength training is a light or moderate physical activity that builds muscle and helps keep your bones healthy. Strength training is important for both men and women. When you have more muscle and less body fat, you’ll burn more calories. Burning more calories can help you lose and keep off extra weight.

You can do strength training with hand weights, elastic bands, or weight machines. Try to do strength training two to three times a week. Start with a light weight. Slowly increase the size of your weights as your muscles become stronger.

Do stretching exercises

Stretching exercises are light or moderate physical activity. When you stretch, you increase your flexibility, lower your stress, and help prevent sore muscles.

You can choose from many types of stretching exercises. Yoga is a type of stretching that focuses on your breathing and helps you relax. Even if you have problems moving or balancing, certain types of yoga can help. For instance, chair yoga has stretches you can do when sitting in a chair or holding onto a chair while standing. Your health care team can suggest whether yoga is right for you.

Source: NIDDK

Type 2 Series: Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes with Joanne Duncan-Carnesciali

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Joanne Duncan-Carnesciali is an experienced health, wellness and fitness professional. She is a doctoral candidate studying health education in the Health & Behavior Studies Department of Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on the effectiveness of a diabetes self-management program delivered using avatar-based technology. In addition to being an independent diabetes educator, she is currently an adjunct associate professor at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education teaching the Practice of Medicine 2 to third year medical students. She has earned a masters degree in Diabetes Education and Management from Teachers College, Columbia University, a masters degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania and is a certified diabetes educator, certified health education specialist, a certified health coach through Wellcoaches, and an American College of Sports Medicine Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

This live-streamed interview focuses on Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes, specifically the following:

1. The importance of having a health screening before engaging in exercise
2. Importance of understanding one’s risk(s)
3. Avoiding a hypoglycemic event
4. Acute and chronic adaptations to exercise
5. Exercise recommendations
6. HbA1c – What exactly is it?


Episode 7: Physical Activity & Diabetes

This week we tackle an old topic that we can always say more about: Physical Activity and Diabetes. Corinna and Mike attempt to talk about more than just a “go exercise” command because they both know they need to add physical activity to their lives. But what’s stopping them?

We play an interview we did through a collaboration with American Diabetes Association and the National Diabetes Program. Dr. Ronny A. Bell, PhD, Dr. Magon M. Saunders, PhD and Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz de Valdez, MD talk about physical activity and the mental benefits people with diabetes receive.

Everybody Talks Diabetes Podcast Mike Lawson Corinna Cornejo

Live interview: Diabetes Sports Project, with TuDiabetes member Bradford Gildon

1pm PT, 4pm ET, 8pm GMT

What time is this where you are?

Join us HERE at the time and date of the event

Join us to meet our dear community member, Bradford Gildon, as he presents a brand new venture called Diabetes Sports Project.

DSP is dedicated to empowering those affected by diabetes through sports-related educational and community engagement. Utilizing the world’s most inspirational, experienced, and sought-after diabetes athlete ambassadors, DSP’s goal is to have a powerful, meaningful and sustainable influence on the diabetes community.
Diabetes Sports Project’s athlete ambassadors demonstrate how through proper diet, exercise, a positive outlook and effective blood glucose management by utilizing the diabetes tools and technology available today, dreams can be achieved.
DSP will debut on October 10, 2015, at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, and can be found at other venues include the Boston Marathon and other premier sporting events throughout the year.
DSP’s website, www.diabetessportsproject.org, will be live on October 10, and will feature free 5k, 10k, and half marathon training plans, along with triathlon plans as well. Our goal is to help provide education and insight to fans who are interested in pursuing their own athletic endeavors. We can’t wait to help you reach new goals!