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Best Type Of Exercise

Dan1987

Dan1987

Active Member
Messages
25
Location
Somerset
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What's the best type of exercise to do to stay fit
I only get one night a week to get out because of work or looking after kids as wife is a ambulance driver and works nights
I have a very active job but need something to do what does everyone else do to get away and stay fit
 
Hi @Dan1987 . I think the most important thing is to find exercise that you enjoy and look forward to.
Personally I'm a gym type and if I was pushed for time i would be looking to do a high intensity workout, tabata or something like.
Obviously it's down to what exercise you like, it could be weights, cardio, team sport, squash the list goes on.
If weights or cardio are your thing then I would have a look at tabata.;)
 
Not sure about the best type of exercise but I enjoy a nice long walk, very relaxing and costs nothing :)
 
I agree that there is nothing like a brisk walk to get your blood sugar down. But if you want something different try yoga, it is more strenuous than it looks and you can do it into your old age. Excellent for the joints too.
 
Dan1987 said:
What's the best type of exercise to do to stay fit
I only get one night a week to get out because of work or looking after kids as wife is a ambulance driver and works nights
I have a very active job but need something to do what does everyone else do to get away and stay fit
Click to expand...
Involve the kids in your exercise a good walk everyday works wonders :)
 
Hi @Dan1987 I have latched on to the stay fit part of your question. If you are going to the gym I would suggest circuit training as this will work every muscle group and will include cardio and resistance. If you are training at home I would recommend free sessions on YouTube such as Fitness Blender or Scott Herman who has awesome workouts (you could involve your children, I do with TaeBo). If you are into extreme, then paid for T25 I find awesome, Beach Body have a 30 day free trial of most of their intense workouts https://www.beachbody.co.uk/product/fitness_programs/on-demand-workout-videos.do. Hi intensity walking does a great job for diabetics, or if you have a static cycle 3 minutes of warmup, 30 seconds as fast as you can, 1 minute rest, 30 seconds as quick as you can x 3, will improve your VO2 max - a similar effect can be achieved with most exercises, such as burpees. Obviously stay safe and ensure your medication is customised to avoid hypos.
 
How about swimming? I believe most of the bodies muscles are used when swimming.
I don't swim or go to the gym or exercise. I used to work as a security dog handler and walk miles every night at work. No longer keep dogs just fat around ones stomach, really must do something about it.

Regards

Martin
 
For the simple purpose of 'staying fit' I will recommend lifting weights.
Cardio is great and would suggest tacking on if you have the extra 15m to do it, but as mentioned above a walk/jog is free and you can do it anywhere (so just buy some gym shoes and when you have 10m just go out and run around the block a few times)

There are ways in which you can build a lifting routine that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for the whole time (so its also cardio) with the benefit of working all of your muscles. You can loose fat, build muscle, improve cardio, and look and feel better! Plus it helps maintain bone density and the muscles needed for balance and everyday tasks that begin to degrade as we age.

Take 1.5hours - Do a warm up walk/jog for 10-15min, then 45min of larger compound lifts, followed by some isolation lifts/supersets, and then some stretching and cool down! Then just go walk and run as much as you can during the week lol

I would suggest finding a fitness forum however, they would be more qualified in giving fitness advice/routines then we are i would think. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource once you learn to navigate it (don't let the name fool you, its 90% people who are just working out for fun and health reasons like yourself!)
 
Dan1987 said:
What's the best type of exercise to do to stay fit
I only get one night a week to get out because of work or looking after kids as wife is a ambulance driver and works nights
I have a very active job but need something to do what does everyone else do to get away and stay fit
Click to expand...

What would you for yourself consider fit? Muscular strength, endurance, just muscularity ... all of them? When finding something you like you're more likely to keep at it and thus reaching your goals.
 
Another vote for walking from me. I love it because I think the fresh air is beneficial as well as the exercise, and I also find it relaxing.

Swimming is good too. I used to go a lot but don't have the time now.

Are you looking to go to something or do something at home/independently?
 
As a minimum I commute to work on my bike every working day ~ 30 km.I cycle hard i.e. > 30 kph at all times,it really keeps me fit , slim and blood sugar under control. I've also been training for a running race for the last 2 months so I'm running 4 times per week. If time is an issue you could consider a rowing machine at home. 40 mins on a rowing machine is a really good workout. I normally row ~3 times per week but the running training has left me without any time.
 
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