10 Best Ways to Move More If You’re a Diabetes Patient With a Desk Job

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Living with diabetes cannot be easy for you. But being diagnosed with it also doesn’t mark the end of your good days. To live well, no matter what disease you are dealing with, it is important to find management approaches that fit into your regular life. 

Whether you are working or happily retired, there are approaches that you can take to move more, and meet your activity goals. While these are approaches that anyone can follow to be more active, special consideration have to be kept in mind for diabetes patients. 

Keep reading to know about the best approaches to achieve your goals, and what are the considerations to keep in mind.  

The Best Approaches To Avoid A Sedentary Lifestyle

1. Move during work/sitting breaks

Whether you have a desk job, or if you pore over books all day, take some time to move around. Set alarms if needed, to have mini walks or stretches, from time to time. If you have space, do a few low impact moves that can get your heart beating. The Pomodoro method of focusing for 25 minutes and resting for 5 minutes is proven to increase energy levels and focus and can be a way to get in more activity. 

2. Take short walks after meals

Going for a walk after a meal is an excellent habit to develop. While it may not help with the food you just ate, it will help you generally digest your food better and keep your metabolism revving. It will boost overall blood circulation and improve your diabetes, in turn. Plus, getting in short ten-fifteen minutes of walks after each meal is a great way to ensure that you get in the 30 minutes or more of your recommended daily activity. 

3. Get out gardening

Gardening is a physically taxing activity that can help in getting your body to move, and your mind to relax. Participating in gardening can also be a very rewarding experience. Digging, pulling weeds, lifting bags of compost, cutting grass are assured to have a positive impact on your health. Being outside is also a great way to soak up Vitamin D from the sun. Best of all, when the result of your labour is your own fresh and healthy vegetables and fruits, it’s even better. 

4. Try out exercise videos

Exercise videos have experienced a large hike in popularity, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. They are a great way to try out different types of exercises, right from the comfort of your home. A large number of them are also customised for providing low-impact activities, which are perfect for older people and/or newbies. In addition to being cheap, and easy to follow, exercise videos are very accessible to most people and is a great way to stay active, as a family.

5. Go hiking

If walking the same path and seeing the same view is boring to you, you can try taking up hiking. There are a lot of walking trails that you can drive to, and then cover on foot while observing the surroundings, and even catching a glimpse of new animals and birds. Hiking is also a great family adventure that everyone can participate in together.

Indian family out for a walk

 6. Get active as a hobby
Making exercise an indispensable part of your lifestyle is the best way to ensure that you stick to it. Making plans with your friends and loved ones to go for walks, play badminton, or even go hiking are all great ways to have a more active lifestyle. Even if you’re just getting in 30 minutes of activity per day, it will be enough to form a habit and stick to it.

7. Doing your active chores
Just because you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or any other ailments, you shouldn’t stop doing your part at home. Activities like vacuuming the house, cleaning the windows, cutting grass on the lawn are all great ways in which you can keep your surroundings beautiful, and stay active in the process.

8. Be an active commuter
Yet another aspect of leading an active lifestyle is to find more ways during your daily life, to be more active. For some, this can mean parking a little away from your door and getting some steps in. Consciously making the effort to take the stairs instead of the elevator, taking multiple trips back to your car to bring your things in, are all great ways to achieve this.

9. Incorporate muscle training activities
While aerobic activities are great for getting your organ system and metabolism to function, strength training has proven result at regulating your blood sugar levels. This is the reason why a lot of doctors now suggest including moderate-to-vigorous intensity training to your workout routine.

10. Start small
If you’re already not a physically active person, the first point of focus should be to develop the habit. For this purpose, the above approaches can be added to your daily life and followed in smaller capacities. You can build up to longer and more intense routines once the habit of exercise is in place.

Special Considerations for Diabetic People

Before embarking on your fitness journey, you should have a conversation with your doctor about the activities you plan on incorporating to your routine. They can help you in understanding what to expect and how to prepare for any problems you may encounter. 

In general, most doctors advice diabetes patients to drink more fluids and to ensure that your blood sugar levels are stable before starting your workout. Having your on diabetes monitor can help you to be continuous alert about your vitals. 

During your workout, make sure to drink plenty of water as you might be getting dehydrated quickly. If you do take insulin, monitor your blood sugar and keep your insulin, medicines and some quick snacks on hand. This can help you come out from the state of hypoglycemia. With the increased risk that diabetes patients experience concerning their foot, make sure to wear cotton socks and comfortable shoes when being active. You should also routinely check your feet for sores, blisters or irritations after exercise. In case of anything like this, get in touch with your doctor immediately. 

So keep all these considerations in mind, any diabetes patient can start living their best and most active life, no matter what age they are.