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Incorporating physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are important factors to managing your blood sugar levels, and preventing future diabetes related problems.
It can be as simple as completing household tasks or going outside for a walk.
Regular exercise can change your mood, increase your energy during the day, and be something to enjoy on your own or with other people.
Many experts say that adults living with diabetes should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day most days of the week. Children and teens should aim for at least 60 minutes of activity most days.
Boost your exercise routine with these simple everyday exercises to keep you heart healthy and manage your diabetes. It’s important to talk to your doctor first for advice and suggestions on what the best program or list of exercises is best for your specific needs.
Cleaning Your Home and Other Household Tasks
Cleaning your home is also good exercise: it’s time consuming and can take a lot of effort and sweat. You need to bend, kneel, and reach to make your house sparkly clean.
Other household tasks that count towards regular exercise include shoveling snow, raking leaves, lawn care, gardening, and washing your car.
Working in and around your home will help get your heart pumping, blood flowing, and burn calories to keep you healthy.
Make Exercise a Social Event, and Take It Outdoors
Catching up with your family members doesn’t need to always happen around the dinner table. Enjoy your conversation while getting a cardio workout on a walk outside.
You will not only burn calories and build your heart strength. Spending time with family members will also change your mood and make exercise time more enjoyable.
Having an exercise buddy also increases the likelihood that you will continue to exercise. Ask a family member or friend to join you for some cardio activity on a regular basis.
Dogs make for great exercise buddies. Dog owners know that the obligation to get their pet out for a walk several times a day leads to more regular exercise, often when they wouldn’t otherwise get it. Dogs will accompany you for a walk whenever and as often as you want, and pets in general have been shown to increase feelings of wellbeing and to reduce stress; good reasons for diabetics to consider dog ownership.
Stand Up to Chat When You’re on the Phone
Standing up while you’re on a phone conversation burns more calories than sitting.
Make sure you walk around while you’re chatting. Every step counts, and they will add up quickly if you have longer conversations.
Move Around During Commercial Breaks While Watching TV
If you like watching a lot of TV shows, a great way to change up your routine is to exercise during commercial breaks.
Try some simple exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups during each break. You will boost your heart rate and burn calories while enjoying your favourite shows.
Move Around at Work
Many people spend their entire workday sitting at a desk, but it’s important to move around as much possible during the day.
Instead of conducting work meetings at your desk, try taking the meeting outdoors to add a cardio workout to your routine.
Eating your lunch at your desk and then going for a walk outside the building (or indoors if it’s cold) during the rest of your break is a great way to get some much needed exercise.
Small changes to your busy routine at work can help to add a lot more physical activity on a regular basis.
Incorporate More Walking to Your Daily Routine
Walking to work may be difficult or impossible for many people to do on a regular basis, but it’s important to try to incorporate more walking into your daily routine.
Instead of getting into your car and driving to the local market or corner store, take the time to walk to the store.
If you commute to work and drive a car, you can try to park a little further away from your building. If you take the bus or subway, try getting off a few stops earlier, and walk the rest of the way to work.
Take the Stairs
Another great way of adding a boost to your exercise routine is to take the stairs as often as you can, rather than an elevator or escalator.
Taking the stairs boosts your heart rate and strengthens your leg muscles. Ask your colleagues to join you for a stair climb at lunchtime to make it a social activity.
If your destination floor is more flights of stairs than you think you can handle to start, try with a few floors at time by getting off the elevator early, and then add more floors to your climb as your muscles start to get stronger and your heart rate improves. Set weekly targets for the number of floors climbed that week, and chart your progress as the number grows.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent exercise, as it stretches and relaxes muscles without putting pressure on joints. This is important for people living with diabetes.
For people who are diabetic, or who are at risk of developing diabetes, studies show that swimming improves cholesterol levels, is a calorie burner, and lowers stress levels.
To get the most benefit from swimming, it’s recommended to swim at least three times a week for at least ten minutes. You can gradually increase the length of your workout.
Make sure to have a snack and monitor your blood sugar levels before exercising.
Let the lifeguard on duty know that you have diabetes before you enter the pool
Yoga is Great For the Body and Mind
Yoga is a traditional form of exercise, using fluid movements that build flexibility, balance and strength. It is helpful for people with chronic conditions, including diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, practising yoga may improve blood glucose levels due to improved muscle mass.
Dance Your Calories Away
Dancing is not only great for your body, but the mental concentration to remember dance steps and sequences boosts brain power and improves memory.
For people with diabetes, this is a fun and exciting way to promote weight loss and increase physical activity. It also helps to improve flexibility, reduce stress, and lower blood sugar.
Chair dancing is a great option for people who have limited physical abilities. The chair is used to support yourself while dancing.
Dancing is a great calorie burner. A 150 pound adult can burn up to 150 calories in just 30 minutes.
Adding simple exercises to your daily routine can not only help you lose weight. It can be fun, make your happy, and help you manage your diabetes in a great way.