Friday, June 28, 2013

Working Out for T1D[ummies]

Confession: I hate exercise.

Hate is probably too strong a word here, but I've always been an indoor dweller, a book reader, a laptop junkie.  For me, part of it just comes along with being a writer.  If I've got an idea, I want to be sitting somewhere committing it to paper or hard drive, not jogging along the street forgetting my next big idea before I even get home.

My ankles swell up on a regular basis.  It's one thing I truly dislike about my body.  It's hard to find a way to love a trait that makes shoe-shopping difficult.  It's hard to get the motivation to go out for walks when you feel too uncomfortable. 

I can't be the only person who doesn't like working out; however, I've come to a conclusion.  I've got to move this body.  I went to my regular (non-endocrinologist) doctor yesterday, and told her I'm concerned about some occasional pains in my knee.  It's also making a rather unpleasant crunchy noise when I go downstairs.  There are bad knees all over my family history.  "Strengthen your quads," said my doc.  "It'll help that a lot."

And so, I need to move it, move it.  And I need to move it, move it for not a lot of money.  I have a smaller living room now, so getting a Kinect or doing Just Dance on the Wii is not as feasible an option as it once was.  This is a shame because dancing is really my favorite form of aerobic exercise. The cruel irony of being out of shape is I can't dance as long as I want to!

I don't know how to ride a bike.

I don't mind walking, but I hate running.  Maybe if I were in better shape I'd like running, but I'm not a "push through the pain and keep your body going!!" kind of woman. 

And let's be honest--summer is upon us, and though I could go walking in my neighborhood, it's going to be hot.  Summer is my least favorite season.  I am less likely to do a ton of walking outside in the summer because I just find it oppressive.  Again, I'm not the greatest at pushing myself to do unpleasant, physically laborious tasks.

So how do you guys do it?  I really want some input here from the former-lazypantses among my readers.  Even if you are a fitness guru, I'd love to hear from you.

Is it hard to get into yoga?  Am I going to spend a fortune if I want to find a gym with a pool?  Ultimately, here's what I want:  be in better shape, strengthen everything, get my flexibility back.

Is a FitBit or other tracker worth my money?  Any decent apps that are free or cheap?

Also, there's a Planet Fitness near me.  Are they serious with their $10 a month membership?  That's sounding like a tempting option.

Let's throw our thoughts back to the early 80's:  Let's get physical, physical.

9 comments:

  1. Myfitnesspal.com They have an app. You can track your calories and exercise that will help you keep track of everything for free. Fitbit is good but only if you're willing to be active and change your lifestyle. You can sync the two apps as well. Nigel and I got fitbit flexes the other day and we have a smart scale.

    Honestly, you should watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix. It's an awesome documentary. Nigel and I really started changing our diet and even did a juice detox. We have far less headaches and a lot more energy now. I think changing your diet so that you get more energy and less health-related annoyances will help you with your want/ability to exercise tremendously.

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  2. Have you thought about setting a really crazy sounding goal? Like sign up for a sprint triathlon that is 6 months or a year away and start working towards that goal. Or maybe it's a 50K bike rally, or a 10K race, or...?? Since you like books, I'll recommend one of my favorites...Slow, Fat Triathlete (living your athletic dreams in the body you have). Not saying you're slow or fat, but it is a funny and inspiring read that might just inspire you to do something crazy sounding and have a lot of fun along the way :).

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  3. I can't vouch for Planet Fitness, but if $10 a month gets you into the air conditioning to walk/run on a treadmill, why not? My advice: Just start small, get used to it, then see how far you can go. You can do it!

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  4. I'm in RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal - find me. :) I wouldn't do a gym membership, you gotta earn that. Plus, if you are going to give up or don't know what you are doing, it's a waste. Stick to something you can do like walking, running or biking. Then move to a gym setting

    Here is what motivates me - I'm not super athletic or healthy. . .I just find activity that one thing I have complete control over and no one can tell me yes or no . . check it out.

    http://adventuringamanda.blogspot.com/2013/05/video-blog_20.html

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  5. Anonymous6:08 PM

    Walking is a great exercise, and it's free. I ran CC in Highschool and swore never again. I'm just not built for it, but I will mow down a 20 mile walk with frequent stop for BGL checks no problem. I really love it. Plus, it beats a treadmill where there's no natural variation, and I met several people I'd not have otherwise.

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  6. Anonymous6:12 PM

    Also, I'm a T1D who weighs now what I did at diagnosis (age 11). I struggled my WHOLE life with my weight, switched to low carb, got a greyhound who needed to walk constantly, (which is how I found my love of walking), and just walked. No secrets.

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  7. Don't underestimate the power of walking, Hannah! Start slow and small, and be sure to focus on progress, not perfection.

    You can do this!

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  8. I feel your pain 100%. Nate is a big fan of MyFitnessPal, and also of some kind of tracking pedometer. I of course love to Sweat to the Oldies (FINALLY ON DVD!) and they really don't require all that much space to do. Also, depending on what you have for cable, OnDemand sometimes has cool workout videos available, like bellydancing or hiphop.

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  9. Hello!

    I am a huge fan of the FitnessBlender videos: no need to get out of the flat, lots to choose from (so never bored) and different levels, plus it's free!

    Marine
    (Type 1)

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