Posted on by exercisehelps

Rock, paper, scissors … depression, diabetes, walking

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I was sitting in a graduate-level psychology class once upon a time when I heard a jaw-dropping fact – if you walk 20 minutes a day, the anti-depressive effects of that walk will equal any, I repeat ANY, antidepressant on the market today.

The professor saw the class’s incredulity and proceeded to show scholarly study after scholarly study where this was proven out.

Now, the truly amazing part is that when you combine walking, with an antidepressant and talk therapy, you definitely have the most powerful tool to combat depression.

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Posted on by exercisehelps

Making sad ole winter your best exercise season

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Wait, what?

My best exercise season?!?!

No way!

Way.

As you know, diabetes responds well to exercise. Blood sugar is controlled and managed better when we exercise. Insulin resistance decreases. Many, many benefits come to the diabetic through simple exercise.

But if you are like me, January has served up a boatload of inertia against getting out there and doing something … anything! I mean, when I try to get myself into gear, I hit a concrete wall … not thin concrete either but 8 foot thick concrete walls.

Seeing an opportunity in this sad state of affairs, I decided to try some new machines in the gym, to see if the variety might confuse the inertia that holds me back.

I decided to try the stairstep machine … it is quite an aerobic workout!!! And because it is different, it made it a little more fun for me. I also bought some new Beats bluetooth over the ear headphones and listened to a new book on Audible. This served to make the workout actually enjoyable.

I also signed up for a 5k run (maybe walk?) at our local zoo in February. This gave me a new goal and goals always energize me.

Remember, what I am trying to do here is beat January at its own game … I’m trying to actually move forward in exercise rather than just treading water.

Well, for me at least, this worked as I have been punching January in the nose all month. 🙂

You see, my diabetes benefits from this. My A1C numbers benefit from this. I am not just doing all of this to pass the time away. I have to exercise.

Try changing up your routine in January and see if it helps. If it doesn’t, drop me a line at terry.blankenship@outlook.com

#diabetes #diabetic #exercisehelps

Posted on by exercisehelps

January is a TOUGH month in which to exercise!!!

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I have often thought that January is the SADDEST month … post-Christmas and holiday, it almost seems like 31 days of afterthought.

I hate to exercise … because I am a type 2 diabetic, I must exercise.

BUT January is brutal when it comes to getting off the couch and out the door! B.R.U.T.A.L! For many reasons that you already know!

(Author’s note: if you haven’t yet purchased my book, 42 Ways to Motivate the Sedentary Diabetic to Actually Exercise, please click HERE. Please also tell your friends and family about this! THANKS!)

But I have to exercise in January, every day, every day, every day. I am insulin resistant and exercise opens my cell doors to allow insulin inside … see the magic here?! Then my blood sugar is drawn down due to this.

Sooooo, here we are, all wrapped up in our inertia, sitting at home or in the office, as sedentary as our coffee table. What do we do?

Get up, walk to the door, exit the door, take a 1 minute walk, return to house, enter door, sit back down.

I’m not asking much here, folks! 1 minute! But it is January so I know I minute in January may feel like 1 hour but you’ve got this!

The theory behind this is that 1 minute might turn into 2 and 2 might turn into 5 and 5 might turn into 10, etc.

All in January! What a superstar you are!