EXERCISE

Exercise

Exercise is extremely important in the control of diabetes. You will probably find it difficult to get yourself motivated if you have spent most of your life having very little exercise, Start off with small changes and increase your amount of exercise daily. Don't feel that you have to be running a marathon in a months time.

Walking

Walking is an excellent form of exercise. When I say walking, I mean brisk walking. Ok, so you never walk and are out of breath after five minutes? Increase the speed and distance each day.

Do you have no one to walk with and you don't like going out on your own? Has a neighbour or a relative got a dog that you could walk? Contact a local dog rescue; they are always desperate for people to come to the sanctuary and take the dogs for a walk. It helps you, it helps the rescue. Rescues are often desperate for volunteers to help with cleaning of cages and mucking out of stables, mucking out is a wonderful form of exercise and again you will benefit and so will the rescue.

Take up an outdoor hobby such as bird watching. You'll cover miles without realizing how far you are going.

Join a local walking group. There are many groups who go out on regular weekly walks. Contact your local Ramblers Association (your local library will be able to supply you with a telephone number or try your local shop that supplies walking equipment).

If you work in an office all day, take your walk in your lunch break. Go for a brisk walk round town.

As you walk flex your muscles, they are there to be used, so use them. Swing your arms, don't keep them tucked up in your pockets.

A brisk half hour walk will cover approximately two miles. Switch off the TV and get walking.

Cycling

Some people find cycling more enjoyable than walking. Try to make sure that you include up hill stretches of road in your route. If it is all on the flat you won't feel the benefit. If you don't like cycling on your own, join a local cycling group or consider setting one up if there isn't one locally.

Sit ups

Buy yourself a sit up machine and start doing sit ups. (Sit up machines can be obtained for about twenty pounds from places like Argos) Start off gradually, just doing ten sit ups and gradually increase the number you do each day. You don't have to do a hundred all in one fell swoop but doing several sessions of ten sit ups spread across the day and you will soon be doing a hundred in a day easily.

Join an exercise group

I know this isn't what everyone would want to do but it might be the kick start to get you motivated. There are exercise groups for all ages; don't feel that you are excluded because you are in your fifties or sixties.

Learn to dance

Have you always fancied learning ballroom dancing or some other type of dancing? Find your nearest dancing classes and get grooving! Exercise doesn't have to be a chore, make it fun. You don't have to have a partner to join, there are plenty of people whose partners aren't interested but that doesn't stop them from enjoying themselves.

Gardening

I advise that you buy organic vegetables but if you are on a very limited income they can be difficult to afford. One way round this problem is to grow your own. Not only will you be providing yourself and family with cheap, tasty, nutritious vegetables but you will also be burning up the calories. If you don't have a garden, contact your local council about allotments in your area. If the council say that there are no plots available, try actually visiting your local allotments. Several years ago I wanted to start growing vegetables and contacted my council about an allotment. I was told by the council that all the plots in the area were fully booked and I stood no chance of getting a plot. By chance, I bumped into a man who I knew had an allotment. I mentioned the fact that I had been interested but all the plots were fully taken. I discovered that far from being fully taken, over half the plots at his allotment site were empty. The council seemed to want the allotments to remain unused. Allotment holders are a very friendly bunch of people, who are only too willing to give advice if you don't know much about growing vegetables.

Even simple things, such as clenching your muscles in your thighs and buttocks when you are having to sit down, will all help to get you in better condition and tone your muscles while burning off sugar. Muscles continue to burn sugar for half an hour after you have stopped exercising so the benefit is continuing even when you are having a sit down after your exertion.

Exercise gives you more energy. At first you will probably feel lethargic and not want to do any but once you start to feel the benefits you will wonder how you ever spent your time sitting around watching TV. It will give you a new enthusiasm for life and help broaden your horizons and make new friends.