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As everyone knows, exercise is an important part of a healthy life. This is particularly true for people living with diabetes, as being physically active every day can play a crucial role in managing and controlling blood glucose levels. Exercise has been shown to help insulin work more effectively, keeps your weight under control, helps you manage stress, lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of heart disease. My husband, Eddie who has type 2 diabetes, and I treat exercise as an important activity for us as individuals, as a couple and as a family. Here are our secrets to our exercise success: use these top tips to get moving and develop a successful and sustainable exercise plan for you and your family. 1. Try quick workouts Finding time to exercise can often be hard, but there is no getting around it – prioritising exercise and physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to help manage and control your diabetes. Eddie’s endocrinologist says as long as you’re getting 30 minutes of exercise a day, several brief workouts are fine. 2. Increase cardio and make it fun For a cardiovascular workout we enjoy bike rides and swimming, we try and do this at least three times a week. We add a brisk 45-minute walk on alternative days. 3. Include weekly strength training Medical advice is for everyone to include strength training into their exercise routine, but it is especially important for people with diabetes. We hit our local gym to train together with weights two to three times a week. If weight lifting isn’t your thing, think about trying resistance bands or body weight exercises like squats, lunges and push-ups instead. 4. Focus on overall activity Focus on increasing your overall combined activity, rather than focusing on one particular type of exercise.? Don’t just rely one activity as your sole exercise. Too often, people overestimate the amount of exercise they can get with one type of activity. 5. Work out with family Working out with family makes it easier to achieve an increased level of activity, and have more fun. Our kids regularly join us for walks and bike rides, and are also committed to their own sporting activities. 6. Encourage and support children’s sport We have four children and it’s really important for us that our kids also grow up with a love of physical activity. With two generations of the family having type 2 diabetes, we know that forming good health habits now will help to prevent, or at the very least delay, our children developing diabetes themselves down the track. All the kids have different sporting commitments, including horse-riding, basketball, soccer and swimming. We prioritise making time to be involved in the children’s sporting activities as we know that being physically active is an essential element in good health management and forming these habits early will reap benefits throughout our kids’ lives. 7. Keep well hydrated We keep well hydrated before, during and after all exercise; this is particularly important during prolonged or strenuous forms of exercise. We choose to drink alkaline water, such as alkalife, during our exercise sessions, as it tastes great and is rich in minerals. We’re also watching with interest new research emerging on other potential benefits of alkaline water for people with diabetes. 8. Check with your doctor Remember, if you are starting a new exercise program, it’s important to chat with your doctor first – this is especially important for people living with diabetes. You need to know that your blood glucose levels are under control and be aware of the signs that your body may be giving you to slow down or stop. What are your exercise success tips? How do you prioritise and increase exercise in your busy life? What tactics and techniques work for you and your family? Tell us in the comments, or head over to The Diabetes Store Facebook page where our community shares exercise, recipes and other lifestyle tips for living well with diabetes. Rebecca and her husband, Eddie Bachalani, founded The Diabetes Store after struggling with the limited range of diabetes-friendly food choices through the local supermarkets. Rebecca strongly believes in healthy living and feels passionate about having no sugar in the house. As a busy working mum of four young children, she wants ease and convenience when it comes to choosing diabetes-friendly foods suitable for the whole family. Rebecca loves nothing more than keeping active with her family and taking their dog, Benji, for long walks. For more natural health tips visit our blog at: http://www.alkalife.com.au/blog
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