I sometimes think you would like to read a blog entirely about my diabetic life. And then I think, I don’t really HAVE a diabetic life… I have MY life! So just like my life, my posts have a lot to do with diabetes but they have a lot to do with other things, too, like exercise and how I think physical movement and exercise impact my diabetes and the rest of my life. And how having diabetes affects my thinking. And on and on and on!
I ran an errand on my way home from bootcamp this morning and passed by the high school after the students had started class. This meant I drove past the track as the students were in P.E.
Woah.
Now, I know for a fact that not all high schoolers like physical activity. I know for a fact that not all high schoolers like, um, well, ANYTHING.
But they DESERVE something more than a saunter in circles for their P.E. class: yikes.
And not one of them looked or acted like their heart rates were elevated. At all.
Not one.
This is what concerns me about telling people to take a walk. “Walk” can simply mean almost anything to anyone, so let’s lay some ground rules for walking.
- Walking at any speed is preferable for our health to most other modes of transportation.
- Walking for transportation is different than walking for exercise.
- One cannot walk for exercise AND hold a cup of coffee. (Sorry.)
- One should sweat and be out of breath during and after walking for exercise.
- One cannot walk for exercise AND hold a cell phone. (Still sorry.)
- I’ve seen friends walk for exercise and it turns into a stroll-and-chat. Good, but not the “moderate exercise” so recommended for everyone’s health. If you are going to walk for exercise with a friend or family member, speak together before you go out and discuss the goals: is it to walk quickly and raise your heart rate and keep it elevated, or is it a stroll-and-chat? You will slow down if you aren’t both on the same page.
- One cannot walk for exercise AND carry a shopping bag. (Sorry again.)
- Walking for exercise is free.
- Walking for exercise can be performed in almost any weather. (Really.)
- Walking for exercise gets you outside in the fresh air.
- Walking for exercise is easy to do. Just… walk.
So what are we waiting for??
