1. Keeping healthy by staying active!
Physical Activity
Keeping healthy by staying active!

2. What is physical activity ? MOVE the BODY
Dancing
Walking
Biking
Gardening
Physical activity is any body movement performed by your muscles that requires the use of energy.

3. Why?? Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.
Improves blood sugar control.
May let you decrease the dose of your diabetes medicines.
Improved flexibility and balance.
Protection from cancer, diabetes complications, obesity, and stroke.

4. Consider the alternative!
Why??
Consider the alternative!

5. Physical Activity Helps you feel better because it… Boosts energy
Helps you cope with stress
Makes you feel less tired
Helps you relax
Helps you sleep better
Is an easy way to do things with family or friends

6. Physical Activity Helps you look better because it…
Tones your muscles
Burns off extra calories so you lose weight
Helps you stay a healthy weight
Helps you control your appetite
Looking better and feeling better will motivate you to continue to be physically active!

7. Physical Activity People who have not been active should start slowly.
Gradually increase how often and how long you are active.
Examples of small steps:
Take the stairs
Walk before or after dinner
Park car so you have to walk further

8. What should I wear? Clothing Appropriate for activity & weather
Shoes – fit, shock absorbent, breathable
Socks
Breathable
Loose at top (Diabetic socks)
Layering
Non-binding clothes

9. Safety tips
Water
Simple carb (15 grams- glucose tablet, Life Savers, juice)
Know your body! How do I feel?
Keep a cell phone with you.
Tell someone where you are going.
Check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program or before increasing activity.

10. Safety tips
Heart rate goal of less than 110 beats/ minute is good starting place.
“Perceived exertion” is about right if:
You can carry on conversation
No more than a light sweat
You feel a little warm
You are breathing a little faster, but not gasping
Show how to take heart rate at carotid artery.

11. The Talk Test: If you are moving and… •Your breathing increases
• You feel a little warm
• You break into a light sweat, but you can carry on a conversation,
»then it’s just about right!
Ask yourself:
•How hard does the work feel?
Try to concentrate on the total, inner feeling of exertion.
It should feel “Moderate” or “Sort of hard.”
If it feels “Hard,” it is too much!

12. When NOT to Exercise If you are sick, even if it is “just a cold.”
If your blood sugar is over 300
If your fasting blood sugar is over 250
If you have numbness in your feet
If you also have high blood pressure or eye problems, don’t lift heavy weights

13. Safety tips
If you are taking insulin or an oral medicine that makes your body secrete insulin (glipizide, glyburide, etc)
Check your blood sugar during and after physical activity (should be above 70)
Don’t exercise when the medicine is peaking
Low blood sugar can happen during or up to 24 hours after exercise
Always carry identification
Exercise with someone else
Drink plenty of water
Hypoglycemia during physical activity:
When starting to exercise, if blood glucose is less than 100 add an additional 15g carbohydrate snack.
If blood glucose is 180 – 240, no snack is needed.
If blood glucose is over 300, do not exercise and check for ketones (not usually a problem in T2DM, but important in T1DM).

14. What is “low blood sugar”
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) happens
When you take too much diabetes medicine
Skip meals
Exercise more than you have carbs available for your body
Have an illness that causes diarrhea
Drink excessive alcohol (small to moderate amounts will raise your blood sugar)

15. Signs of low blood sugar
Trembling, anxiety
Clammy skin
Pounding, fast heart beat
Sweating
Hunger
Confusion
Blurry vision
Headache
Seizure
Coma

16. Warm-up, Cool-down
Check your blood sugar before and after!

17. Let’s Review!
What are three things that people with diabetes need to take with them when they are exercising?
What are two good reasons for people with diabetes to be physically active every day?
What is one way to know you are working out at about the right intensity?

18. It’s a balancing act!
How long will you have to rake leaves to burn off 210 calories?
1 ½ hours; 50 minutes; 2 hours??

19. Calories in = Calories out
If you lift weights for 1 ½ hours, you will burn off 257 calories!
(Based on a 130 pound person)

20. The Exercise Best time to exercise: after 4:00 p.m.
Best to exercise after a meal.
Choose activities that you enjoy.
Warm up and cool down 10 mins before and after activity
Start slowly: minutes, 3-4 times a week.
Goal is minutes most days of the week.

21. Chair Exercises
Leg Swing: to firm the buttocks and strengthen the lower back. Stand up, holding on to the back of a chair. Keep your back and hips in line with the chair as you do the exercise. Extend one leg back, foot pointed towards the floor. Keeping the knee straight, Lift the leg backwards about four inches; squeeze the muscles in the buttocks with each lift
Backstretch: to improve the flexibility of the lower back. Sit up straight, Bend far forward and straighten up. Repeat, clasping hands on left knee. Repeat clasping hands on right knee. Exhale while bending forward.
Reach: to stretch shoulder girdle and rib cage. Take deep breath, extend arms overhead. Exhale slowly while lowering arms.
Leg Extensions: to tone the upper leg muscles. Sit upright. Lift leg off the floor and extend it fully. Lower it very slowly. Suggested repetitions: each leg

22. More Chair Exercises
Knee Lift: to strengthen hip flexors and lower abdomen. Stand erect. Raise left knee to chest or as far upward as possible while back remains straight. Return to starting position. Repeat with right leg. Suggested repetitions: 5 each leg.
Quarter Squat: to tone and strengthen lower leg muscles. Stand erect behind a chair, hands on chair back for balance. Bend knees, then rise to an upright position. Be careful not to let knees go beyond your toes. Suggested repetitions: 8-12.
Heel Raises: to strengthen the calf muscles and ankles. Stand erect, holding a chair for balance if needed, hands on hips, feet together. Raise body on toes. Return to starting position. Suggested repetitions: 10.