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Exercise

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moorby86

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Hi, I’m a type1 diabetic of 33 years, over the last few years I’ve really managed to get my overall blood sugars under better control than ever before as a result of using the freestyle libre, a good local diabetic team and getting a bit older. However I am a bit frustrated with my lack of fitness and motivation, I am eager to get into something to get fitter. I’ve bought a rowing machine and weights and although determined to get fitter do really struggle with motivation in general and right now self consciousness, just wondered if anyone had similar experience how they overcame them and what advice they could give. I’m also interested in finding support groups locally or even online to chat preferably via voice as I really feel this would be beneficial to my overall health, thanks
 
I should do resistance type exercise, but I find it tedious in the extreme. However, I discovered these in around June this year:

https://www.theconqueror.events/all-challenges/

Coupled with my Fitbit and I've been collecting bling, really quite a lot of bling. There is also a really supportive community for the challenges on Facebook if you do such things. I *think* I'm at the point now where I would do my daily miles even without the incentive, but the bling is a nice reward/reminder.
 
When my motivation for exercise is waning, there are three things that keep me going
- something I enjoy. It does not have to be classic exercise. It could be gardening, DIY, dancing, walking, ...
- doing it with someone else who I have made a commitment to. This could be a game of badminton or a session on the climbing wall or doing some shopping for an elderly neighbour.
- achievable targets/challenges. This could be to exercise 3 days per week or to lift a certain weight or run for a certain distance or lose weight or build a new flowerbed in the garden Something I cannot do today but I feel I could do. I am not competitive but some people are motivated by setting targets relative to others such as cycle further than a friend.

The hardest exercise to motivate myself for is something I do alone, especially if it was in my house.

I appreciate this does not help when you have just bought yourself all the kit but don't be limited by weights and rowing because that is what you have. And don't be limited by exercise you have to dress for sand go out of your way for. For example, doing the weekly shop on foot gives me cardio and resistance training as I carry the bags uphill to my house.

Edited to add : don't forget to vary your exercise. Otherwise you risk overstraining certain muscles and not exercising others
 
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Hello @moorby86

Good for you - good fitness helps with better glucose control so keeping fit is vital.

When you say your struggling with motivation, try setting yourself small targets and start low, I find setting small targets in terms of time or on a rowing machine or distance helps, I use one and was just taught by a Henley rower last week to calibrate the machine properly and to not set the resistance too high either and simply concentrate on using the machine properly, so from posture to even holding the bar correctly there's alot to learn about using the machine correctly, I go to a gym and have no issues with feeling self conscious, but am older and so pay little attention to what others might think of me, I just go to maintain my fitness and do my routine, focus on using your machine correctly and remember the whole point to anything is to enjoy what you're doing, otherwise you'll never pick it up and maintain, also see about getting a Personal Trainer session to kick yourself off ? They will get you going too !
 
It is just your mind preventing you from getting on that rower and doing some weights. I follow alot of Youtubers who have been at the top of their sport and have selected a path of low carb / keto and exercise to maintain and build; even they have the occasional motivational issue, so you are not alone. I felt like that yesterday after a bad nights sleep.....I dragged my sorry "..rse" and got after it and then did some more later in the day.

A trick is to do something light to get the blood flowing, I do punches, blocks, kicks and stretches. The self conscious thing I really get. When I went to the gym a few weeks ago, after severe Covid, I felt like everyone was watching me, due to my half strength and heavy breathing. I failed a bench press for the first time in my lift at 100 kg, so embarassing as I had no spotter and had to roll the bar from my chest to the floor - 3 weeks on I am now able to rep 105 kg x3 at the end of 5 x 5 session, due to consistency.

If you keep to your protocol the weeks will fly by. You may not even notice change (others will), but your body will thank you. Try to see exercise as a reward to your body not a chore.
 
I’ll have a look into that

Thanks a lot this is all helpful stuff! I do tend to be quite bad at being hard on myself in general right now, I’ve found that when I was in my teens and 20s and had poor control I literally couldn’t care less about being healthy, the way I looked etc however the more on top of my diabetes I’ve got the more image conscious and aware I’ve become. Have literally only just purchased the rowing machine and have manatee to do about 10 minutes per sitting a few times a day and 10 minutes or so with the weights per day for about 3/4 days so far so it’s a start. I don’t drive and do a fair bit of walking which will no doubt do me some good too, thanks for the reply and giving me plenty to look into!
 
Thanks, I’m sure it’s trial and error and I’m literally just getting started. I will definitely consider joining a gym, the council offer a package at £25 a month which includes gym membership and access to their swimming pool + there’s on of their facilities within a 5 minute walk of my house so no excuse! The motivation is a problem I have in general and I’m not entirely sure if it’s anything to do with being diabetic or just a part of my personality, I often set out with the best intention and lose interest after a bit, one of the bonuses is that the apparatus I’ve bought ate stored where I have to walk past them so hopefully that’ll be a reminder, I wouldn’t say I’ve enjoyed the rowing machine so far, quite the opposite! Lol but I’m hoping it’s just that the exercise is new to me, I do regularly do 10,000 steps a day though and quite enjoy that! Thanks for the reply and suggestions
 
Definitely agree about the mind comments, I have a six year old son who seems to be regularly telling me that I’m not fat but need to lose some weight! Which is an incentive to lose weight. Although having belly fat the rest of my body I.e- arms, legs, neck shoulders are all skinny which I put down to diabetes in some part so it’d be lovely to work at getting a bit solider in those areas for a change, I’ve worked so hard at better blood sugar control maybe this is the next stage! Cheers
 
OK here's a little fitness challenge for you to tone up your core - I am doing a Whatsapp plank challenge with my pals so each day for 2 weeks we do a 2 min plank challenge, so flat to the ground with bum aligned on our forearms, we then report in to each other on the group chat when we've done, it's a good way to incentivise each other as well as a reminder and after just 3 days I am feeling stomach muscles I haven't felt in a while
 
I like all the tips on here especially the plank challenge!
Keep it short and sweet but make it meaningful so you can see and feel results without it being torturous. I work in a gym so would always suggest joining and getting some help. Remember January means the gym will be full of self conscious newbies and the trick is to not leave by February!
HOME:
If you add in 500m row with 1 minute rest then repeat that x 3, there is your high intensity element completed in under 10 minutes most likely! (the 10k steps cover the low intensity side of things)
How about a wall squat (make sure your back is flat into the wall and your thighs are at a 90 degree angle}. Add air squats to that and check your form (YouTube or gym person).
Do 20 seconds against the wall and 10 squats then 30 seconds and 15 squats,
That is lower body stuff covered!
You could add push ups (wall then knees then on toes) 3 x 8-15 for upper body and to compliment the plank challenge.

Personally in lockdowns I've liked doing Peleton classes (you'd need some dumb bells but they do offer bodyweight classes) or LesMills. Both apps offer an inexpensive monthly fee and doubtless a free trial.

It is useful to have a goal but for those new to training I usually suggest an initial goal of just showing up twice a week to build the habit and those who get too keen too soon tend to drop out first so pace yourself!
 
some helpful suggestions thanks, I’ve managed to stick to 30 minutes rowing a day for the last 3 days and some squats etc with a barbbell which is a good start I guess, there’s a swimming pool yards from my house so I’m going to try get into the habit of swimming too
 

If you’re perhaps looking for a tangible goal, I’ll be setting off for Mordor on Monday 10th:

https://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/119649-walk-to-mordor-in-2022/

Any self-propelled distance can be logged against the journey. For me, that’ll include walking, swimming (at least once I have my C19 passport) and stationary bike.
 
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