| I know! Most of us hate the word exercise, let alone | | | | technological advances and inventions. But we can't |
| the actual activity involved. Well, get over it! Once | | | | use that as an excuse. Following are some easy |
| we've allowed ourselves to become diabetic, we no | | | | ways to get started adding more exercise into your |
| longer have a choice. We must exercise! | | | | everyday routine. Give them a try. After all it is YOUR |
| Yes, you read that right. I really did say, "Once we've | | | | life that matters. |
| allowed ourselves to become diabetic." I'm talking to us | | | | 1. Hide the remote controls; they make it too easy to |
| Type 2 diabetics on that one, you Type 1s don't have | | | | be lazy. This includes the garage door remote. Getting |
| to accept that remark. Now before you get all mad, | | | | in and out of the car to open the garage door is good |
| have steam coming out your ears and start sputtering, | | | | exercise. |
| "Who does she think she is, telling me I'm responsible | | | | 2. Carry your groceries from the car to the kitchen |
| for the fact I became diabetic," hear me out. Did you | | | | one bag at a time. More steps and lifting; more |
| know you had diabetes in your family history? Did a | | | | exercise. |
| doctor ever tell you to lose weight? Did a doctor ever | | | | 3. Instead of stacking things by the stairs to avoid |
| tell you to change your diet or lifestyle? Did a doctor | | | | extra trips up and down, make the trips. Stairs are a |
| ever tell you to get more exercise (there's that dirty | | | | great way to get exercise. |
| word again)? Did you gorge on sweets and/or carbs? | | | | 4. Push the kids or grandkids on the swings. Play |
| You get the point. But there is a diabetic prescription: | | | | frisbee with them, etc. Quality time with the children is |
| EXERCISE! | | | | an added benefit. |
| We helped to create this problem in our bodies, now | | | | 5. Go for a walk. Start with a short walk and work |
| we have to take our medicines. And that doesn't stop | | | | your way up to several blocks or 30-40 minutes. If the |
| with pills and shots. Just consider exercise another of | | | | weather is bad, go to the local mall and walk. |
| the medicines we have to take. I read somewhere | | | | 6. Walk around while talking on the phone instead of |
| that exercise is the diabetes treatment almost | | | | plopping down in a comfy chair. |
| everyone can benefit from. I backed up, read that | | | | 7. Stop driving around the parking lot for ten minutes |
| again and the light bulb came on. I got it! Exercise is | | | | trying to get a parking spot next to the entrance. Park |
| another of our treatments and we need to think of it | | | | farther away and enjoy the walk. |
| as such. It's not something we know we should do, | | | | 8. Put items you use often on higher shelves so you |
| something we might get around to someday, but | | | | do more stretching and reaching to get them. |
| something we have to do just as we have to take our | | | | 9. Housework is an excellent exercise. Vacuum an |
| other prescriptions the doctor gives us. | | | | extra time per week, etc. |
| We don't, however, have to go out and join a gym or | | | | 10. Gardening is another wonderful exercise. |
| buy expensive equipment. Of course you can if you | | | | I'm sure you can think of other ways to add exercise |
| want to and it is a good thing to do, but it isn't | | | | to your daily routine. Take that prescription seriously. |
| necessary. We can work exercise into our everyday | | | | Do whatever works for you but do something! Take |
| lives! We Americans have become very lazy as a | | | | that most-hated prescription: EXERCISE! |
| whole. This is often caused by some terrific | | | | |