Just Do It!

Exercise helps you function at your best, and if you have diabetes, it is an essential component in what's called the three-pronged approach to controlling diabetes and blood glucose levels -- proper diet, medication, and exercise. For many of us, walking is the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to get exercise. Walking is also one of the least boring or tedious of exercises as you can go wherever you like. Just avoid walking in extremely hot or in extremely cold weather.

We do a lot of walking and it doesn't take us turning on the weather channel to know that winter has finally arrived. Although we may not be up to our knees in snow as some of you and as we were when we lived in the North, we can see the more subtle changes where we live-leaves falling, a cold drizzle a lot of the time, and an even colder chill of the wind from the north. That means, as a person who has diabetes, we must take some extra steps and precautions in order to continue our walking and not get damp feet or body chills while walking. Generally speaking, walking outdoors is fine for people with diabetes at temperatures as low as freezing, but it's best to check with your doctor.

Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. It's recommended that one walk for at least 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week, but even if it's only for 20 minutes 3 or 4 times a week, you'll start to see a difference in your physical fitness (and most likely blood pressure and blood glucose levels).

When you walk, vary the pace between quick, short stride with strong arm swing, then stroll for a while, then back to pushing it for a short intervals, etc. Keep your posture tall and straight with your chin parallel to the ground and shoulders back and down. Let you arms swing naturally.

As you get further along with your walking program, you might want to start carrying small hand weights to give the upper part of your body additional workout. Remember to stretch your back and leg muscles before you start your walking session and allow for a cool-down period of strolling, followed by leg and back stretching.

Be sure to wear proper socks