• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

How much exercise do you do?

D

DeafDiabetic

Well-Known Member
I think most of us T2s are put on a regime of tablets and/or insulin, amended diet and excercise.

With the excercise aspect in mind, I'm just wondering how much do you do? I read somewhere even vacuuming the floor or doing the washing up (those with diswashers can ignore this bit!) can help. Even a good half hour's brisk walk daily I've read is good for you as is also getting off the bus one stop earlier to walk that bit more also going up in the lift but walking down the stairs.....

However, I'm more interested in those who go a little bit further by taking up sports. I've just joined a gym: 1st week just the once then 2nd week 2 times then thereafter 3 times a week. Just generally doing a lil' bit of cardio and toning up plus the occasional swim. I have no aspirations to be the next Arnold!

Anybody else here been prompted to take up sports of sorts since their T1/T2 diagnosis?
 
I have never liked sport of any kind - ever- not lazy just don't enjoy it - never really enjoyed the gym - but have to say loooooove my WII fitplus and use it most days
 
Re: How much excercise do you do?

When I was diagnosed, I just took walks every day like taking my daughter to school and walking back the long way around and going to town on the bus rather then by car and walking everywhere. At first it was a pain, literally as I am obese, to walk very far without resing here and there to take the ache from my lower back and my hip, but now I walk 2 miles every day. I would really like to go swimming again, as I have always been a water rat, but being the size I am, it is very embarrassing especially when other's stare at you as if you had a pork chop stapeled to your forehead! So I will just be patient and lose more weight (I have lost 3 stone already) and then take up swimming again :)
 
Hi DD :) I do 30 minutes on the treadmill as many days as I can and try to walk a lot when I am out as well. I must say I don't get much exercise doing the housework though 8)
 
I love my wii fit, do 30 to 45 mins on it daily
also do 2 mile walk most evenings with my dogs, makes me feel so much better :D

Sue
 
I had to give up running last Nov because of a nerve issue as a result of a couple of spinal discs in my neck showing some deterioration. Used to run 2-3 times a week about 3 - 5 miles each time.

However I've had some excellent physio/osteopathy work done so I'm hoping to get back into it.

I've was doing 1 Yoga and Zumba session per week in the last few months.
A month ago I added in 30mins weights on a Mon morning (sets me up for the week lol).
I took up a weekly ladies beginners Muay Thai class 3 weeks ago and have added in 2-3 Zumba classes per week. I will be taking up Yoga again soon. I also do a 12mile - 18mile walk with the hillwalking club every couple of months.

So all in all about 3 - 6 hours of exercise per week from virtually none :D
 
Eiche,

If you want to start swimming again but feel uncomfortable being seen in just your cozzie, find out if it'd be ok to wear a t-shirt and shorts over the top. I know it's allowed at my local pool.

DeafDiabetic,

As well as walking, I've just started to use the free gyms in the local parks in my area. They're a mixture of cardio-vascular and (body) weight bearing machines. Can feel a bit daft at times but they're useful. (Can't afford proper gym membership.)

Next move will be borrowing my nephew's bike while he's at uni to increase my activity even more (plus save on bus fares).

Onwards and downwards...

Klair
 
Walking and gardening for me :D I walk my two dogs every day and gradually built up to around 3 miles brisk walk, feel really sluggish if I miss and get a lovely rush of feel good factor afterwards . We have a fairly large garden, my husband is in a wheelchair so the garden is down to me , mowing the grass can take me over an hour . I dont do gym :roll:
 
Hi,

I was diagnosed 14 months ago and started low carbing and walking at least 5 days per week for around 1/2hr and in August joined a canoe club and paddled for 2 hours each week.

I have now lost around 7 stone and moved on since xmas with running. I did the couch to 5k Podcast from ITunes which got me running. I have booked a couple of 5k / 10 k runs and a half marathon for June.
 
Once you do something for a consistent 30 minutes then that is what they claim as the point at which it becomes beneficial to you, doing 10 minutes of something three times a day is not the same. The something can be anything more than operating the TV remote depending on where you are starting from.

For myself, as I had to resort to a brief walk up one of the hills in the Forest of Dean half marathon this morning I know that I've not done enough exercise recently. Once I properly get my head round using the pump though I'll up the miles again, but last year with finishing two full marathons, I still only occasionally got up to doing more than 40 miles a week a handful of times which is nowhere near enough. I did finish in 1:26 today, so just over 3 minutes off my PB, despite it being a very hilly course and my lack of appropriate training recently.
 
spideog said:
Once you do something for a consistent 30 minutes then that is what they claim as the point at which it becomes beneficial to you, doing 10 minutes of something three times a day is not the same. The something can be anything more than operating the TV remote depending on where you are starting from.
Click to expand...


Actually 'they' now state that you CAN split up the exercise as it is really all about doing some good exercise for as long and as often as you can. Not everybody is able to exercise intensely, especially if they are frail or disabled or have some other condition.

So splitting the exercise is now thought to be beneficial........for those that need to. Every little helps ....as 'they' say........ :)
 
Absolutely, anything is always better than nothing.

If you can go for a half hour walk for instance though, your better off doing that than doing three 10 minute walks because they said that was all you needed to do. You'll probably get somewhere more interesting for one thing. :lol:
 
Exercise covers many things, walking, stretching, running, jogging, weights, hand-weights, resistance-bands, all types of sports and everybody has to work out what they are able to do. Doing too much is just as bad as doing too little. Nobody is telling people that they only have to do 3 x 10 min walks, they are talking about exercise.........which may lead to 30 min or more walks.

The advice to split the 30 mins exercise each day is from today's HCP's, Physio's. Everybody considering taking up exercise has to consider what they are physically able to do. I know of some who are so unfit or immobile or have had a major operation that they might not be able to manage much more than 5 mins to start with. Then they build on that extending to 10, 15, 20 or 30 mins or more at their own pace.

Obviously some types of exercise are more difficult for some and indeed may not be appropriate due to some underlying condition or injury. Somebody who is confined to a wheelchair or housebound can only do 'chair' exercises in small segments, 5 or 10 mins at a time. People who are just starting out or are in later life and haven't exercised for many a year and maybe are unfit. They shouldn't try to do too much at first. They may also have their health to think of so should undertake the exercise after discussing things with their GP or other HCP's.

There are many who have difficulty walking for whatever reason, they need to start slowly and build on things. Not everybody is fit enough to do even a 5 min walk let alone a 30 min walk, or even run Marathon's. Some can only dream of that achievement.......

So, nowadays, the advice to split the exercise is good advice for many people......horses for courses, so to speak. :wink:
 
Just to be clear, I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said in any of these posts.

I was just using walking 30 minutes as an example of a form of exercise that everybody knows what it is and how to do it.
 
I play badminton in the local league, I go to the gym 3 times a week to build up strength in injuries I suffered from a motorbike accident. Just after release from hospital I would go swimming (1 of my injuries was a nerve damaged foot resulting in "footdrop"). I am a big lad, I have scars all over, I was walking funny coz of the foot drop but you know what? I don't care! I was swimming for my pleasure and fitness and peoples doubletakes are a sign of their own ignorance. So you go swimming!
 
Hi,,
I do exercise just one hour in a day and get good results... It all because of my routine hardworking and my full concentration on exercise... Routine matter in exercise..
 
I am intrigued by the use of exercise to lower BG levels. As far as I can tell my bike ride for at least 30 mins helps keep my BG down after my 'brunch' every morning.

I subscribe to the notion that exercise after a meal will heighten the sensitivity of insulin. Wish there was some clear data to prove this point.

I also have a cross trainer and do about a mile at a time sometimes three times a day.
Another factor is how much time you have. Since I work at home I can fit in exercise around my jobs. Others in an office are not so lucky. 8)
 
I go to to the gym 6 days a week, doing classes from bums & tums to high energy aerobic/dance workouts (4 times a week) to things like yoga (twice) - which still has a positive effect, even though to me it doesn't feel like i'm doing anything! They all last an hour each, plus I sometimes go to the actual gym section as well. I go swimming when i have time, and ride horses as many times a week as I can, as well as walking / biking in the summer when the weathers nice. I've found that when i don't do exercise, my blood sugar levels are through the roof, even when i put my insulin up - so it's a good job i enjoy it really!
 
First up, let me clarify that any extra exercise you can get is good. Never think that going for a 30 minute walk is not worth the bother.

I too joined a gym shortly after being diagnosed. I started going and spending half an hour to an hour working reasonably hard on the some of the cardio machines. Then added in some resistance machines. I'd have a fairly good workout and leave feeling tired. The usual though, the excuses for not going some nights started slipping in.

I then discovered Spin classes and shortly after Les Mills BodyPump, BodyCombat and BodyAttack and also Kettlecise classes. I got completely hooked on these classes and go roughly 6 days per week and an average of 2 or 3 classes per visit. I work so much harder than I used to when doing these classes and have a lot of fun with them. My heartrate rockets and I can literally ring the sweat (yuk) out of my T-Shirt when finished.

The results, the fun and the people at these classes that I have gotten to know leaves me looking forward to going every day.
 
Throughout my life I've usually done some exercise, more during some periods,less at others.
It was during an attempt at a cycle ride ( after a period of inactiivity during the winter) that I developed the symptoms of DKA and realised I couldn't continue to ignore the thought that I had diabetes.
So during my enforced 10 days in hospital I became determined to not let diabetes stop me... indeed I'd become stir crazy in hospital and had taken to running up and down the back stairs and 'escaping' for walks during the last few days.
I left hospital and entered for the London Marathon. I didn't get in but I did a marathon 14 months later. Six years later and I did the London Marathon in April. We've also done some multi day walks on French GR routes.
Exercise has become an important part of my treatment. I walk, cycle, swim and run. I enjoy it when I do it but for me and I suspect for many, it is sometimes hard to motivate myself to get out of the front door.
I'm certain though it makes a great deal of difference to my glucose levels. I went into a bit of a lazy period after I finshed the London Marathon and soon found that my overnight and fasting levels were creeping up from the 4s and low 5s to the 6s and even a couple of times above 7. I got back out again and my fasting levels fell again.
I'm not doing the long distances involved in marathon training (that brings problems of getting too low bgs at times) . Now I'm back to doing a variety of activities including a long walk/cycle once a week, shorter runs on three days, some gardening and at this time of year swimming.
 
Back
Top