Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
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In the past 7 days, how many those days did you get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (e.g., brisk walk, swimming, light bike riding)? Cancel reply
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I almost answered zero, but I thought of how fast I walk in comparison to others and then I went grocery shopping for more than half an hour and my BG showed it.
I remembered my mother answering a similar question of how physically active she was and hers was not at all, but I intercepted and said that she moves her furniture around the house at least quarterly plus cleaning the house more than weekly which is not a common thing for people in younger generations.
I put 0, but I make myself get out and walk a grocery store aisle by aisle. Facing full knee surgery soon……
I’m normally having to move briskly 12 hours per shift when working, but put 0 since I’ve been out of work on surgery recovery most of this month and don’t go back to work until Wednesday night. Not sure how intense my activity at work will be since I’m restricted to “LIGHT DUTY” for at least the first month back.
In younger decades I was a 7.
But age and its sledge-hammer-certainty effects (social, economic, health) steer many people in a different direction. Being a full-time caregiver is inordinately demanding. Your time is not your own. The little free time that is afforded is usually invested in groceries, food preparation, medicine acquisition, and conversations with medical specialists.
Exercise is a far laggard and probably performed at the level applauded in the special Olympics, rationalizing to yourself: ╰༼ ⋋ ‸ ⋌ ༽╯, that’s the best I can do . . .
I answered 2 before the flooding and ice have made me captive inside my home. I plan to walk a mile in my living room today with Jane Fonda. I should do indoor exercise more but always find something else needing my attention which is an excuse. I love riding my adult tricycle outside and can’t wait to resume that exercise which is so much fun.
I am 82 years old with 76 years of type 1. I have neuropathy that prevents my getting aerobic exercise. One lap on my treadmill or a 15 minute walk outdoors is very tiring. I do some housework like vacuuming that helps. I get about one hour of milder activity each day. Is don’t need a cane or walker yet, but I probably will soon.
You are an inspiration to many of us!
I am going on 90 with about 69.. I said #6.. Lets keep telling the younger D’s our years to make them feel better !!
After my heart attack last summer I decided to try walking every day, for at least twenty minutes. I was in Cardiac Rehab for nearly four months which added upper body strength to my workouts. Now that I’m through that, I use my Silver Sneakers for free membership at LAFitness where I go every other day for a combo workout. The off days I walk either in the neighborhood or in my basement (if it’s too cold outside). I hope this is bringing about added strength to my heart and lungs, but know it’s having a positive effect on my BG. My suggestion? Get an Apple Watch or other brand that enables you to count steps or other activities. It will make you feel better knowing your daily totals.
Until about 8 years ago, I ran everyday, distances varied. With age, I found that I needed a day off between runs. In the last two years, I found that I could not run at temperatures below 60 degrees F (breathing issues). Now, I have numerous home remodeling projects, combined with cool outdoors temperatures, has limited my runs of 4.5 miles to three days. I also cannot run more than 4.5 miles because my blood glucose drops very quickly when I run. Gastroparesis stops my digestive process completely while I am exercising. So, 4.5 miles is the best I can do, on a good day.
4.5 miles is quite a distance to run, so don’t complain or be discouraged. Most of the seniors on this site cannot run 4.5 miles or even walk that far on a cold day. Be proud of youself not disappointed.
Only 3 this week because here in Michigan we’ve had heavy snow and very frigid temps. I try to walk at least 5-6 days a week, but won’t walk in icy conditions. It’s not worth the risk of falling.
Amen to that!
None! Brok my ankle stepping off a rock wall onto mossy driveway January 7th. Cast from toes to knee. As they said in the 60s “Major bummer, man”!!!
I put zero because exercise lately has been mainly ~20min roundtrip walks with my son to school (not exactly brisk) and longer walks on weekends. Otherwise I’m at my desk A LOT for work.
I’m super impressed with all the active T1D seniors here! Good inspiration to step up my game! 🙂
Agree with you as well. Since pandemic I have worked 50-55 hours per week. But I moved my yoga from after work to before work, so I do 30 of that 5 of 7 days. Then, if I don’t have meetings, 20 minutes of biking or walking on my lunch hour. Hard to do but feel so much better!!
Nice !! to both of you..
We live in NW Wa state, so cold weather doesn’t generally stop us from our daily 3+ mile walk. After that I may spend 20-40 minutes doing cardio/strength training/yoga then stretching most days of the week. Tomorrow I turn 64 and hope to keep this up for a long time! My body is used to exercise so when I don’t (like when traveling) my BG goes up.
I agree. Getting out of the routine is the only thing I don’t like about going away, but the last time we went, walked a lot, 14 miles one day.
When I was first diagnosed, I was taught to use 2 shots of NPH morning and night with no meal boluses allowed. I hated the post-meal high blood sugars so I got in the habit of 30 min aerobic exercise after meals. I’ve been doing 1 hour of cardio per day ever since, ~35 years.
are you still on NPH twice daily?
I do a 15 minute mile via TV. I have balance and dizzy issues which we sre trying to get figured out.
Sherrie, I wonder if balance problems can be a sign of upcoming hearing loss? It was with me. If diabetes can damage nerves, I wonder if that includes auditory nerves and sense of balance? Every so often, like when I’m waiting for a bus or light rail, I practice standing on one leg to improve balance. It works! I worked up to one minute (or a count of sixty) for each leg. Then I got up to two minutes each leg. I haven’t got up to one minute with eyes closed yet (tips of fingers barely touching kitchen counter), but that’s my next goal. 🙂 Yes, I now wear hearing aids, but hearing loss has not worsened.
When not caring for my dad, my answer is 6 days a week. My son and I workout at the gym together on average of 3 days a week and the other 3 days we work out at home. I’m currently caring for my father so my time is limited but I got him to the beach the other day and he meandered and I enjoyed 30 minutes of walking in the sand before I slowed and enjoyed the beach with him. My sister has dad duty until tomorrow and I’m about to get touristy on the island I grew up on with my very active grandma.
Grocery shopping takes at least two hours every week, unless you make the mistake of going just before the Super Bowl. I think everyone and their brother went shopping at the same time last Sunday. Because we have to carry the groceries from the parking lot up the stairs to our second floor apartment it’s exhausting. No matter how well I prepare I can count on going low just as we’re returning home or two hours later, even though my spouse does most of the heavy lifting.
Well, Janis, prepare some more. 🙂 How about adding an ounce or two of cheese before shopping? Maybe add a couple of dates BEFORE you leave the store? Half a nutrition bar? Climbing stairs IS heavy exercise.
I am physically active everyday just living my life and doing what needs to be done in my home caring for family and pets (cats), and at my part-time job. I do participate in Zoom movement classes once or twice a week when I can.
In warmer weather I work in my garden daily and walk picking up litter/trash scattered on a Boulevard green space near my house once or twice a week. I can’t stand seeing empty soda cans, candy wrappers, styrofoam cups and food containers, plastic bags, and discarded masks carelessly thrown from cars and strewn all over the green space. I wish people weren’t such slobs and lived more consciously and conscientiously. However, I look at it as another reason to get up and move and I am happy to contribute some energy to help maintain a cleaner planet.
nice connie !!! from sweet charlie
I said 4, it would be higher but blood sugar issues have prevented me from at least 2 days.
I did exercise, just not 30 minutes a day.
I walk 30 minutes daily. I’d like to walk inside because that way I do different exercises with my arms at the same time which I couldn’t do outside. I also bike (stationary) 30 minutes daily using elastic bands for arms at the same time I pedal. I recently started practicing pickle ball twice a week.
I have covid. Usually, I get at least 30 minutes of exercise. This is a challenge now
I’m inspired by comments. Exercise was definitely emphasized when I was diagnosed. So at age 15 I started weightlifting with a 110# barbell set ordered from Sears catalog and bought a “how to” book. Since then I’ve taken yoga classes, learned to swim, jogged, bicycled, done SilverSneakers.. Biking on level ground doesn’t burn many calories…too efficient, but is fun. City Parks & Recreation Dept. offered a Pilates class. That was a humbling experience! Doing a variety of exercise programs has helped me prevent boredom. I gave up driving decades ago, so walk 1.5 miles to library or store or to credit union or to medical appts and use public transportation (Seniors pay only $1 buck for trip + you get 2 hours for trip back or to transfer to light rail.) Much cheaper than owning & maintaining a car and that auto insurance! Plus no parking lot fees or license fees. Housework IS exercise: vacuuming, making bed, laundry, preparing meals, mowing lawn, cleaning bathroom, it all adds up.
When watching TV or sitting in library I try to remember to stand, stretch, walk around every 50 minutes.
Elliptical or stationary bike or rowing much easier on my knees than jogging. But to really make progress, I’m looking maybe to try occasional testosterone ointment…if I can find a doctor to prescribe it and to measure my levels.
2 days of snow shoveling. I’ve sacrificed time for exercise to manage healthcare/caregiving for 2 elderly relatives. Not much time for me with insurance issues and new health concerns that always crop up.