6 steps to a fitter you
Moving more is essential for keeping your type 2 on track. You’ll love the side effects of losing weight and feeling great!
How, and
why, to get moving
Whether it’s taking the dog for a walk or lifting weights in the ad break of your favourite TV show, every little bit of physical activity counts towards getting the scales and your BGLs moving in the right direction.
In every issue we give you lots of recipes and information about meals that will give your diabetes management a healthy lift, the next step is to make regular exercise part of your natural routine.
Why? Because exercising improves the sensitivity of your cells to insulin and increases the uptake of glucose from your bloodstream.
‘That means you will feel less tired and you will have lower circulating glucose levels,’ says accredited exercise physiologist Christine Armarego.
‘High BGLs are the cause of diabetes complications, so regular exercise prevents complications.
‘Every bout of exercise you do improves your insulin sensitivity for up to 48 hours, peaking at 24 hours. Exercising daily will have the optimal effect, but if you can’t manage that, aim to exercise every second day.’
Feeling daunted by the idea of starting an exercise program – and sticking to it? Just follow our simple, step-by-step guide…
ONE Give your GP the heads up
Before you start any new exercise program, it’s important to check in with your GP or endocrinologist to confirm you’re physically and medically able to exercise.
Your care team can also help you understand how exercise will affect your BGLs and whether your medication, food intake or insulin will need to be adjusted when you begin.
Once you’ve got the all clear, seek advice and a program to suit you from an exercise physiologist or a trainer recommended by your GP or diabetes educator.
TWO Start gently and build on your success
Armarego stresses that everyone is different in their relationship to exercise – we all have exercise baggage of good or bad experiences that we carry around with us. Starting small is a proven way of overcoming this baggage and of developing a new and positive relationship with training.
For example, Armarego says she might start a client who is fearful of or resistant to exercise with simple activities such as sit-to-stand (sitting in a chair and standing up), walking up and down the hallway, and using light hand weights to build arm strength.
A combination of cardio and strength will have the greatest positive e ects
The boost you get from increasing your activity and from becoming more comfortable with exercise will fuel you as you progress to the next phase.
THREE Discover what’s right for you
Tune in to your own exercise preferences.
‘If you can stick to a home-based program, that’s brilliant, but if you need to go to a class, find one locally that’s at your level and that will help you feel motivated and supported,’ says Armarego.
‘Some people with chaotic routines have to work out their schedule on the fly. I say to them,
“You just need to make sure you have your stuff ready in a bag. Then if a meeting gets cancelled, you can go to the pool or the gym.”’
Armarego also suggests finding your optimal time of the day to exercise, whether that’s early morning before the day starts getting busy, or in the early evening just before you cook dinner.
Try exercising at different times of the day until you find a timeslot that works for you.
FOUR Cardio + Strength = Best results
The fitness experts agree that a combination of cardio and strength will have the greatest positive effects on your general health, BGLs, stress levels and weight.
This is because exerting your cardiovascular system improves its capacity – meaning you won’t get out of breath as often and your risk of heart disease (which can be elevated by having type 2) will be dramatically lowered.
In fact, the World Heart Federation says, ‘Studies show that doing more than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, or an hour of vigorous physical activity every week, will reduce your risk of coronary disease by about 30 per cent.’
Strength training – using light weights, resistance bands or your own body weight – makes your muscles draw glucose from your bloodstream
*Kilojule burn is based on a 68kg woman and will vary depending on weight and activity speed.
to power that exertion. Toned muscles also store glucose more effectively and use more blood glucose even when you’re not exercising – a win for BGLs and for weight management.
According to a 2013 Austrian study, ‘Resistance training is increasingly establishing itself as an effective measure to improve overall metabolic health and reduce metabolic risk factors in diabetic patients.’
Even better? Both cardio and resistance training boost your production of endorphins and other hormones that reduce stress and help to relieve mild depression.
FIVE Learn to love housework
We’ve become so used to thinking of work in the house and garden as drudgery – but it’s a secret source of incidental exercise, kilojoule burn and satisfaction.
Tasks such as mopping and vacuuming and (burning 180kJ per 15 minutes), window cleaning (142kJ per 15 minutes) and digging and weeding (142kJ per 15 minutes)* are valuable activity boosters in lives which are increasingly spent sitting.
Think of these chores as providing little add-ons to your activity program. They help to keep your glucose fires burning, your waist trim and your home looking gorgeous!
SIX Keep yourself challenged
‘One of the beautiful things about exercise is that it has the opportunity to show us our mastery,’ says Armarego. ‘As we make small and continuous progress, we master something, and that brings us joy.’
People who exercise regularly say mini milestones, such as walking a bit further everyday or riding just that little bit faster on a stationary bicycle in the gym, give them the buzz to continue.
It’s the first step to feeling confident to try new things and set even bigger goals – such as being able to swim a kilometre, cycle a hilly route without stopping, or walk a famous race such as Sydney’s City2Surf. Before you know it, you’ll be off on a lifetime’s adventure in activity! ■