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Regular moderate exercise log

Managed my target length of walking yesterday without even planning 'a walk'! I'd arranged to meet a group of people for an afternoon in the sunshine with our sketchbooks, had to walk there because we have no Sunday buses at all, then because it was still warm and sunny at the end of the afternoon walked a meandering route back home - and made the target!

Encouraged by people on one of the 'exercise' threads, I bought a fitness monitor, which keeps me aware of how much (or how little) walking I do each day. I started using this back in mid-August - started on the lowest possible level of fitness. And there have only been 3 days where I walked less than 5,000 steps, which feels like a really attainable goal for me now on a daily basis. My daily average is now between 9,000 and 9,500 - because on good days I go off and do lovely walks in local countryside, taking my time, but overall, keeping going for a lot longer.
 
Well done Jennifer. Lots of little walks for me today, dashing between consultant and flu jab then off to work. Just replaced the handle on the loo flush as husband had managed to break it, that has to be worth some blood sugar if only for figuring out the instructions.
 
The plan for today is to WALK to the meeting this evening of my local branch of Diabetes UK - way over the other side of town! There's a talk by a diabetic nurse so I'm curious to see what she has to say.
 
Pouring with rain again here. I'm going to get on my exercise bike on the balcony this afternoon. Meanwhile, for your entertainment, here's a nice piece about the benefits of walking for diabetics:

http://diatribe.org/issues/51/adams-corner

Oh, and back again. Ate an apple, got on the bike for half an hour with a book, and I feel very good.

How are you guys?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
RuthW said:
... here's a nice piece about the benefits of walking for diabetics:

http://diatribe.org/issues/51/adams-corner ...
Click to expand...

I thought the comments about a 20 minute walk after a meal was interesting - something I never do and keep thinking I should try and start doing. A couple of times in my life I've lived in countries where people do this - going for a walk after the evening meal - and I've always looked at them thinking it's a nice thing. Now I realise they weren't daft!

And I regularly do the thing of using my walking time for listening to all sorts of things. I download loads of radio podcasts and listen to things I'd never hear otherwise.
 
Yes, I'm not a regular walker after meals, mainly because my biggest meal is in the evening and I rarely fancy walking in the dark. But these days I am more willing to get on my exercise bike for ten to twenty minutes rather than taking a 'correction dose.'
 
Hi all, gym today just rowing as I spent ages in a queue at the pharmacy beforehand trying to get my needles.
A walk after dinner is much easier in summer. Sigh.
 
I did my usual 90 minute walk today. Found the first 20 minutes tough today. The exercise bike worked my calves yesterday, it seems.
 
RuthW said:
I did my usual 90 minute walk today. Found the first 20 minutes tough today. The exercise bike worked my calves yesterday, it seems.
Click to expand...

Ruth - Do you usually do your walking in one go - one long walk?
 
I love doing it one long go if I can. And I love to walk in a park nearby. But sometimes I just can't. Time, weather, etc prevent it. My shorter walks are usually just to the local high street and back. Otherwise the shopping just doesn't get done!

I have to say that this thread is working for me. Seeing what other people do pushes me to make that extra effort and do at least a little almost every day. Funnily enough, today I just reviewed what I had logged since we started, and I'm quite pleased. It has made me much more consistent than I usually am.

Onwards.....

Oh, and how was your meeting? And the walk?
 

If I give myself time, I'm finding that I can do the 10,000 steps distance of walks. But it definitely tires me - I often come home, think I'll have a nap, and wake up hours later. And the next day, I don't have the drive to do more than a short walk, around half that distance. For now, this feels OK - so much more than I was doing, so a real personal achievement.

For me, a big part of this is getting used to the idea that this is what I have to be like for the rest of my life. It's a big change because not only was most of my work mainly sedentary, post-retirement, most of the activities I like now having lots of time for are also sedentary. I'm only just starting to think through other ways that I could build more activity into a typical day, so I'm also liking seeing what other people are doing - other people who've not got any great exercise habits in their lives!
 
Ah yes, I'm not at retirement age yet but about ten years ago, I switched from teaching to editing. When I taught, I never sat down in the classroom, so it was a big change for me, and not at all beneficial for my health. Also, for most of my student and working life, I cycled to college and back, and in London my bike was always my first choice of transport. So, I am, to be honest, not thrilled about having to 'make time' for regular exercise. However, I also used to choose sports, swimming, cycling, etc as weekend activities, so I remind myself it's not such a huge change. I am getting closer and closer to buying myself a full set of weights and trying HIIT, though. HIIT doesn't particularly appeal to me, but both weights and HIIT are very effective in terms of the time:results ratio.

(Oh, and my other major hobby is sewing clothes - not very energetic either. )
 
Ok. Today half an hour round the shops and twenty minutes on the exercise bike.
 
Hi all, @RuthW, funny you mention editing, that has been my career! So yesterday 50mins walking, today so far housework (eugh), lunchtime will be another wobbly scales class with weights and tomorrow's plan is squillions of steps at Twickenham for Wales/Australia.
 
Hi wondering it I could join in. I'm 66 and only really started walking after diagnosis. I've slowly increased my walking to about 4 or 5 miles a day which has helped a lot with blood sugars and also enabled me to lose the weight I needed. I need encouragement to keep going during the winter. My children gave me a fitbit which has really motivated me. I try for 10,000 steps a day which I just managed yesterday.
 

Our situations seem pretty similar. I'm 68, not long diagnosed T2, took on walking as my exercise because it's something I used to do a moderate amount of, so knew I could cope with doing more of it again, got a fitness monitor, which has worked wonderfully well for me, but know that like you, I'm going to need encouragement as winter comes on.

Mind you, unlike you, the pounds aren't dropping off for me! I've switched to a low carb diet, but know I still just eat too much.

Do you plan out walks for the week? I'm doing some of that and hope it'll help as winter comes on. If I've put it in the diary, I'm more likely to do it. I'm testing out different footpaths around my area - some are the sort that you know in winter will still be OK, while others are already very soggy! I'm trying to do most of my walking in nice places so that the whole experience is a positive one (compared to just going around the local streets, which bores me witless).
 

Hi @JenniferW
Yes similar. I had a high HbA1c of 95 on diagnosis and really wanted to control by diet, weight loss and exercise. Eventually GP agreed to a 3 month trial. I could hardly walk at first as my foot was causing major problems with walking but persevered. I need to do the walking as I like food and couldn't cope on 700 calories a day, using need to reduce your calories by 500 from what you burn to lose weight. So the more I walked the more I could eat, Yes I did test and change a lot in my diet but the walking has really helped and now I'm looking to maintain weight, not lose any more or my GP will have another go at me. I walk to the local shops a mile and a half in total this morning. I will do another walk this afternoon hopefully. Sometimes I walk to a different shopping centre and catch the bus back. I sometimes do a lap round of a local park but probably not in winter as some of it is grass, I do like walking besides the Thames on the tow path which I think I will try this afternoon.
 
I share your views on eating! Only yesterday I was thinking about how I can exercise more so I can eat more. It's a great motivator for me.
 
Hi @Hiitsme nice to have you along. Great to hear that you are seeing results. Imo food is one of the great joys of life so anything that allows more food while staying healthy is a good move.
 
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