Weights, anyone?

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

Now , if you’ve got Diabesity, don’t go overboard and get a set of 10-pound weights. We’ll talk about anaerobics another day.

In yesterday’s blog I mentioned getting into the game for World Food Day. I also mentioned we were going to talk about exercise today. If you’ve got some weights, fine. Hold off for a moment. Unless you already have a safe, well-designed routine.

First, think aerobic exercise, which is designed to raise your heart rate and get the oxygen flowing in your arteries faster than it’s doing now. To do this, all you have to do is start walking. And I don’t mean walking from the couch to the fridge. Let’s take it one step at a time (no pun intended).

First, if you want to take care of pre-diabetes or full-blown diabetes, you need to ask yourself if you want to do this. If not, keep reading just the same, and see if there’s something in this exercise thing for you. Meanwhile, if you don’t mind, I’ll go ahead with those who want to lick diabesity now!

Get into some comfortable clothing and a pair of well-cushioned walking shoes. Sneakers that still have some good, strong tread will do the trick. Better if they’ve not been worn continually for more than 6 months.

Decide when you’re going to walk daily. Don’t decide one day at a time. Decide for the whole week. Write it in your calendar. And write the exact time. Starting time and finishing time. Done?

Next, do find someone to walk with you. You don’t have to have the same partner every day. Some days, you can walk alone. But I can tell you that one of the best ways to ensure you’ll stick to it is having a buddy to walk with, even if it’s your dog. (To quote my Spaniel-besotted aunt: “Dogs are people too!”) You can bet your bottom dollar Fido will come with a leash and badger you right on schedule once he figures out you’re doing this just for him. I have a friend who walks her cat—yes CAT—on a leash every day, and woe betide her ankles if she’s half a minute late!
In fact, you might want to make a pact with a friend that you’ll do each other’s ankle-biting on alternate days!

Have fun, and happy walking. I’ll check in with you in 5 days and show you what to do next.

Meanwhile, I’ll look for your blog comments or questions on this experience.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health

Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.