Unexpected Exercise

Week 2: ACT
Saturday, November 13

Unexpected Exercise – Raking leaves can be such a chore, but it can also be a great way to sneak in some exercise. What are some ways you sneak in some exercise? (And no, we don’t think “Jedi mind tricks” count!)

I learned a lot of ways that I can sneak in some extra exercise at my Diabetes Education Class a few days ago.  The physical therapist suggested getting up and moving, no matter what you're doing--talking on the phone, working, watching tv--because, as she said, those little things add up and are much better than doing nothing because you're so intimidated by having to EXERCISE. 

Since I don't have a maid (sad, I know), one of the main ways I add some extra exercise to my daily routine is by doing housework.  Sweeping, laundry, dishes...It's not strenuous activity, but it's activity.  During the summer, I found that gardening was a great way to get moving...Pulling weeds is hard work!

Being the perfectionist that I am, I can have an all or nothing attitude toward some things...Diet and exercise being the main ones.  Sometimes I tend to think, "Well, I've already 'messed up' for today, so I might as well forget about it all together..." or "No matter what I do, my blood sugar isn't coming down, so why try?"  Of course, I know that this kind of thinking is counterproductive, but it happens nonetheless.  It's something that I'm having to work on, and it's going to be a long road until I can accept things as they happen, even when I don't have much control over the situation.

Before I go, an update from yesterday--I set my alarm for 3:00 this morning to check my blood sugar and make sure it was going down, and it had dropped from 374 that evening to 163.  When I got up around 9:30, it was 138 before I ate breakfast...So it was still high, but not dangerously so.  I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on my numbers for the rest of the weekend just in case, but I'm hoping and praying that they stay in a good range until I'm able to pick up my prescription (Janumet) on Monday.