For many people, the thought of exercise brings back memories of the hundreds of jumping jacks, pushup, laps and other calisthenics they were forced to do in school. But when you were playing stickball with friends or shooting hoops or speeding down the street on a bike, you were having fun. That may be the key to getting your move on—it’s got to be enjoyable.
In a recent study published in the journal, Psychology of Sport and Exercise researchers monitored the brain’s activity during physical activity. Participants in the study walked 400 meters at a speed of their choosing under three conditions: listening to Happy by Pharrell Williams; listening to a podcast of a TED talk, and listening to no sound.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that listening to music while walking led to a 28 percent increase in enjoyment compared with walking with no music, and 13 percent more enjoyment for those listening to music, compared with listening to the podcast. The researchers concluded that music leads to a more positive emotional state where you are less likely to think about the exercise and more likely to focus on the music or podcast.
Physical activity is an integral part of managing your blood glucose—also called blood sugar, level and staying healthy. It can lower your blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and bad (LDL) cholesterol while increasing your good (HDL) cholesterol.
It improves your body’s ability to use inulin, which might allow you to decrease the amount of medication you need. It lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke—both of which are disease risks among people with diabetes. It burns extra calories so you can keep your weight down if needed, improves your mood and may help you sleep better.
So what activities should you include to get all those benefits? The American Diabetes Associations recommends four categories of exercise—being extra active every day, aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching. You should try to get a little of each into your weekly exercise plan.
Add extra activity to your daily routine. If you have
been inactive or you are trying a new activity, start slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes a day. Then add a little more time each week and gradually work your way up to 30 minutes.
Try these simple ways to add physical activities in your life each day: walk instead of drive, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the far end of the shopping center parking lot and walk to the store, or walk the kids home from school.
If you are sitting for a long time, such as working at a desk or watching TV, do some light activity for 3 minutes or more every half hour. Light activities include; leg lifts or extensions, overhead arm stretches, desk chair swivels, torso twists, side lunges and walking in place.
Aerobic exercise is an activity that makes your heart beat faster and makes you breathe harder. You should aim for doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day most days of the week. If you don’t have time to carve out 30 minutes daily for physical activity, you can break it up into three 10 minute segments or two 15 minute segments. Get it in where you can fit it in.
To get the most out of your activity, exercise at a moderate to vigorous level. Try walking briskly or hiking, climbing stairs, swimming or a water-aerobics class, dancing, riding a bicycle or a stationary bicycle, taking an exercise class, playing basketball, tennis, or other sports.
Strength training sometimes known as weight lifting or resistance training, is physical activity that
builds muscle and helps keep your bones healthy. Strength training is important for both men and women. When you have more muscle and less body fat, you’ll burn more calories.
Burning more calories can help you lose and keep off extra weight. You can do strength training with hand weights, elastic bands, or weight machines. Experts recommend that you do strength training two to three times a week. Start with a light weight. Slowly increase the size of your weights as your muscles become stronger.
Stretching increases muscle and joint flexibility and range of motion so you can move your joints and limbs fully. When you stretch it keeps you from being sore after exercise, relieves stress, and makes it easier to perform daily activities like bending down to tie your shoes.
You can choose from many types of stretching exercises. Some formal types include yoga, tai chi, and Pilates, but you can find simple ways to fit stretching into your daily routine. Touch your toes ten times before you get out of bed, really reach for the items on the top shelf of the cabinet, lunge into each stroke with the mop.
If you have never exercised or it has been a long time since you last worked out, you should see your doctor before you start an exercise program.
Remember! The key to fitting in exercise is to make it something enjoyable and fun. So, put those headphones on, tap your favorite playlist and get moving. You’ll be Happy you did.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully
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