A silver lining

[slipper]

As you may know I cant do much exercise but I do move from time to time but last night 1 hour after dinner I was 9.8, up from 5.3. So I went for a 5 or 6 minute walk, bit uncomfortable but made it. My reading afterwards was 6.3, a huge drop I think for such a short exercise.

Methinks my knackered muscles use a lot of energy to do a little work, which is going to be a good thing if true, for my diabetes .🙂

 

[Northerner]

That's quite a drop for such a short space of time, but it may be that the effort it takes for you is equivalent to 20-30 minutes for someone more able. I must admit that I was surprised when I did the Big Blue Test (test, then do 15 mins of exercise, then test again). My levels came down by a bout 1.5 mmol/l which isn't as much as yours but I am pretty active anyway.

Well done, I hope you can manage it regularly for even better results in future! 🙂

 

[Caroline]

Sounds great, well done.

If you can manage a little on a regular basis it is better than doing a lot in one go.

 

[Copepod]

It's well accepted by physios, rehabilitation specialist nurses and doctors etc that "knackered muscles use more energy" - knackered muscles mean un-natural movements, which are moer energy hungry than "normal" movement. To take it to extremes, walking with an artificial leg and / or crutches uses at least 2 to 3 times as much energy as walking with 2 whole legs.

It just shows that any exercise / activity is worthwhile, however minimal it feels.

Based on my observations over the past 4.5 months, when I've been injured (right knee no longer straightens nor bends properly), unable to walk nor stand properly and completely unable to run, orienteer, kayak etc, I've noticed that on the occasions when I have to walk (only about 1 mile, leading children round a park) and cycle more that daily minimum of about 3 miles, I've found that it's relative increases in activity that are the key factor, not absolute increases - I have to reduce my insulin doses more in relation to those 1 mile walks or 12 miles cycling in a day, whereas when those were normal / virtually everyday, I only had to reduce very slightly.

 

[Robster65]

I presume it's down to the number of muscle fibres having to share the load. If you have plenty and they're well toned, they'll barely wake up for it, but if you have few and they don't get out much, they're at full pressure from the outset. It's the cells that need to shovel the coal into the furnace I feel sorry for ! 😱

That is how it works isn't it ? 🙄

Rob

 

[slipper]

I dont know how it works, and even allowing for strip tolerances, still very pleased with result, which did amaze me. Good incentive to do it again.

I will be doing lift ups with tins of baked beans next.

 

[slipper]

It's well accepted by physios, rehabilitation specialist nurses and doctors etc that "knackered muscles use more energy" - knackered muscles mean un-natural movements, which are moer energy hungry than "normal" movement. To take it to extremes, walking with an artificial leg and / or crutches uses at least 2 to 3 times as much energy as walking with 2 whole legs.

It just shows that any exercise / activity is worthwhile, however minimal it feels.

Based on my observations over the past 4.5 months, when I've been injured (right knee no longer straightens nor bends properly), unable to walk nor stand properly and completely unable to run, orienteer, kayak etc, I've noticed that on the occasions when I have to walk (only about 1 mile, leading children round a park) and cycle more that daily minimum of about 3 miles, I've found that it's relative increases in activity that are the key factor, not absolute increases - I have to reduce my insulin doses more in relation to those 1 mile walks or 12 miles cycling in a day, whereas when those were normal / virtually everyday, I only had to reduce very slightly.

That sounds a bit tough Copepod,hope you improve soon, but does tie in with my muscle problems, which must be due to deconditioning as well as illness.

 

[Northerner]

That sounds a bit tough Copepod,hope you improve soon, but does tie in with my muscle problems, which must be due to deconditioning as well as illness.

Actually, thinking back to when I broke my femur, and long before diabetes, I remember getting exhausted very quickly - a 5 minute walk to the shops took nearly 10 times as long on the crutches. Also, I remember eating an enormous amount of high energy food/calories - whole swiss rolls, battenburgs, packets of biscuits - must have been something in the order of 6,000 calories a day with little apparent exercise and very little weight gain.

 

[slipper]

Interesting about the calories Northerner, as my family were always amazed at what I ate, despite a pretty sedentary life. Its a case I think of the body trying to repair itself and needing energy to do it.

I'm down to 1000 calories, and have shed over 2 stone in 8 weeks.

So really I am very efficient at burning fuel by the look of it, but not efficient at anything else, I'm old too.

 

[Copepod]

Thanks for your concern Slipper - I'm hoping for news / progress when I see surgeon next week. I have had to eat slightly less to maintain weight, as I'm not being so active, so I'm looking forward to getting back to nearer normal activity and food intake levels in the next month or so, I hope, taking it steady so as not to undo all the surgical good work.

I'm grateful for having a background in nursing, disability, rehabilitation etc, plus several friends who are physios, who can give advice by email from British Columbia and phone from Derbyshire!

Actually, leg raises with a tin of beans tied into a scarf hooked onto foot, when sitting on the edge of a table or work surface is a recognised method of improving quadriceps strength, which is what you need to do to support a dodgy knee. So, using a tin weighing a few 100g can help to increase the value of any exercise - for strengthening muyscles, more repetitions with a light weight is usually better than fewer with a heavier weight.

 

[Andy HB]

I will be doing lift ups with tins of baked beans next.

I recommend starting with them empty first! 😉

 

[Newtothis]

You are doing so incredibly well, each small step turns into a massive stride and you're doing wonders. Keep up the good walk....big hug, Amanda x 🙂

 

[slipper]

Thanks Amanda, it was you and your cross trainer that gave me the idea.🙂
Did it again tonight and it worked again. Cant afford the strips to check again so take it as read now.🙂

@Andy HB, that made me giggle.

@Copepod, where should I put my beans if I want to strengthen my thigh muscles, the ones at the front. They're the ones that dont work too well.

 

[Copepod]

Thanks Amanda, it was you and your cross trainer that gave me the idea.🙂
Did it again tonight and it worked again. Cant afford the strips to check again so take it as read now.🙂

@Andy HB, that made me giggle.

@Copepod, where should I put my beans if I want to strengthen my thigh muscles, the ones at the front. They're the ones that dont work too well.

You need to construct some means of attaching a tin of beans (can start with a "half" tin at first) to your foot - eg tying it into a neckerchief / large cloth hankerchief / plastic bags with hand holds - so it's comfortable / not too tight, and short enough that the beans don't touch the ground when you sit on the edge of a table / work surface and swing your leg. You'll have to do one leg at a time, and turn to face the other way along the table / work surface to do the other leg. Takes a bit of experimenting to find the right combination of tin of food, scarf and table / work surface! Initially just do a few swings from bent knee to straight, then gradually build up the number of repetitions and sets of swings per day.

Hope that make sense! I don't think I'd have much success in looking for an image on the web, and have never taken a photo of the process!

 

[Robster65]

You need to construct some means of attaching a tin of beans (can start with a "half" tin at first) to your foot - eg tying it into a neckerchief / large cloth hankerchief / plastic bags with hand holds - so it's comfortable / not too tight, and short enough that the beans don't touch the ground when you sit on the edge of a table / work surface and swing your leg. You'll have to do one leg at a time, and turn to face the other way along the table / work surface to do the other leg. Takes a bit of experimenting to find the right combination of tin of food, scarf and table / work surface! Initially just do a few swings from bent knee to straight, then gradually build up the number of repetitions and sets of swings per day.

Hope that make sense! I don't think I'd have much success in looking for an image on the web, and have never taken a photo of the process!

It would be worth paying good money if you had !!

I suspect the hard part would be getting onto said table or worktop.

Perhaps a small plastic bucket so it could be filled with various objects to add weight as you go and it would need less ground clearance ?

Rob

 

[Copepod]

It would have to be a very tiny bucket to need less clearance than a tin of beans on its side, inside a neckerchief tied to a foot. 🙂

By the way, a standard tin of beans weighs about 400g to 420g, and 200g to 220g for a small tin, depending on the brand / sauce / presence or absence of sausages etc.

Set up depends on the height of the table or worksurface, but as you can use a step / chair etc etc to get onto said surface, it can be quite high, and it's important to have clearance to swing your leg. At the end of a trek across Seram in Indonesia, I used a bamboo frame, neckerchief and tins of fish.

 

[slipper]

Thanks Copepod, got it all except,

You'll have to do one leg at a time, and turn to face the other way along the table / work surface to do the other leg.

Am I to sit so that 1 leg is hanging straight down and then lift it up, not bent at the knee?

When I do get there, photos may be available,

 

[Copepod]

Hi Slipper

Sorry it's not clear - and thanks for checking!

You need to have both thighs supported on the table (or other) surface, with both knees bent and calves pointing down to floor, feet parallel with floor. Then, with weight on one foot at a time, raise your foot until knee is straight, and lower gently (so your heel doesn't smash against table leg / cupboard below worksurface etc), then repeat.

Photos could be very useful!

 

[slipper]

Thanks Copepod, got it now. Will swing into action.🙂

 

[ladyjaynie]

@ slipper

hi all, hi slipper,
can i ask how you manage to lose 2 stone in a month(is that correct)especially not moving about to much,i ask as i have fibro and bfcs and cant move about alot without being in a lot of pain.i was wondering if you could give me some advice on what you eat ,getting down to 1000 cals a day must be hard.but anyway well done on the weight loss keep it up.
jayne