Any advice for someone exercise phobic!?

BobbleHat

BobbleHat

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Going to be honest, I'm a couch potato (I suppose I need a diabetic appropriate term now: couch celeriac?)
Hot drinks, snuggly blankets, my crafts, something decent on TV - that's my idea of total bliss.

I never thought I'd be able to overhaul my eating but I have. I feel happy that I can sustain this.
So now, I feel like I need to tackle the exercise side of things. Anyone else who was pretty sedentary when they were diagnosed got any advice for how to find the motivation to do a bit more? I quite like Pilates but I'm struggling to make it a habit (I have arthritis in my left hip too which doesn't ache too badly but is stiff and restricts my movement).

(Oh and I hate running. In the event of a zombie Apocalypse, I will be letting the zombies eat my brains rather than try to escape!)
 
Exercise doesn’t have to be classic gym or running.
Gardening or dancing or walking around the shops is exercise. You could park/get off the bus earlier.
When I am least motivated to exercise, I find someone else to do it with me or rely on me. If you like dogs, you could arrange to regularly walk a friend’s .
 
What about dancing? I joined a Scottish dancing class at a local village hall and really enjoyed that and it was excellent exercise whilst having fun. Kept you mentally active too remembering the steps and where you needed to be moving to. There were a lot of elderly people but they were all keeping themselves fit through doing this as well as having a social evening. they were very welcoming when I joined and patient with me as I was starting from a very basic level and they walked us through the dances first and then we did it to music. it was a good laugh. Not necessarily suggesting Scottish dancing but I think salsa classes are quite common or tap dancing...
 
Hi @BobbleHat. Since I finished cycling and hill walking, I'm not really one for deliberate exercise. I look for things to exercise as part of my daily life.

One thing is not to use the car when I can walk. I walk down to the shop to get a morning paper and if the weather is nice I can take one of several routes back, the longest of which can give me a couple of miles gentle ramble. I also go into town on the bus. By the time I have walked to the bus stop and then walked around to where ever I want to go, there's another couple of miles.
 
Can you swim? I started swimming twice à week, and have worked up to 20 lengths each visit. I also leave the car on the drive and walk places as often as I can or, like @Docb, use the bus. I have a bus pass so I might as well make good use of it.
 
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I'm another fan for walking - instead of driving down to the local shop, walk instead - I do a lot of exercise at weekends as a Hockey (field, not Ice) Umpire but have a desk job in the week - I make sure I walk on weekdays as much as possible
 
@BobbleHat As others have said, walking is good, brisk walking is better, or if you have a house with stairs, going up and down 10 times is good.
We have two dogs, so walk them every day, but that is not a brisk walk as all they do is, stop, sniff, poo and pee, so I go out again for another walk at a brisker pace, even if it's raining.

A 10 min brisk walk is good, but a 20 min one is better.

Don't bother with the gym, as most people never keep it up, but an exercise bike or similar at home may be a good idea.

Alan 😉
 
Alan44 said:
Don't bother with the gym, as most people never keep it up, but an exercise bike or similar at home may be a good idea.
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I think it depends upon your motivation. There are many who find home exercise bikes as great for drying their clothes but little more whereas the gym provides more variety including classes which may motivate some people more.
I have attended a gym for 20+ years and use everything from the exercise bikes and cross trainers to weight machines and free weights to Spin class and circuits to yoga and Rumba. My gym provides a fitness assessment every 3 months with a change of program to keep me motivated.
I could not have the same variety and social interaction with a workout at home.

I appreciate we are all different and that others will not find a gym as interesting as I do. I just know I missed it during the covid lock down and Zwift was a a novelty to keep me cycling but not the same as the gym.

For me, when I start to feel a bit slovenly, it is others who motivate me - I have to go climbing because my climbing partner needs someone to belay; a friend has invited me on a hike; if I don't go to the popular Spin class I signed up to, I am wasting the space for someone else; my friend's dog can't cross his legs so I have to take him for a walk.
This is why home exercise equipment only motivates me so far but a separate gym does.
 
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BobbleHat said:
Going to be honest, I'm a couch potato (I suppose I need a diabetic appropriate term now: couch celeriac?)
Hot drinks, snuggly blankets, my crafts, something decent on TV - that's my idea of total bliss.

I never thought I'd be able to overhaul my eating but I have. I feel happy that I can sustain this.
So now, I feel like I need to tackle the exercise side of things. Anyone else who was pretty sedentary when they were diagnosed got any advice for how to find the motivation to do a bit more? I quite like Pilates but I'm struggling to make it a habit (I have arthritis in my left hip too which doesn't ache too badly but is stiff and restricts my movement).

(Oh and I hate running. In the event of a zombie Apocalypse, I will be letting the zombies eat my brains rather than try to escape!)
Click to expand...
How about something that's actually exercise but that doesn't feel so much like 'doing exercise'? I'm thinking walking (around craft shows?) - even using an aid, or gardening. I'm always surprised how much even walking to the local shops reduces my blood sugar.
 
BobbleHat said:
Going to be honest, I'm a couch potato (I suppose I need a diabetic appropriate term now: couch celeriac?)
Hot drinks, snuggly blankets, my crafts, something decent on TV - that's my idea of total bliss.

I never thought I'd be able to overhaul my eating but I have. I feel happy that I can sustain this.
So now, I feel like I need to tackle the exercise side of things. Anyone else who was pretty sedentary when they were diagnosed got any advice for how to find the motivation to do a bit more? I quite like Pilates but I'm struggling to make it a habit (I have arthritis in my left hip too which doesn't ache too badly but is stiff and restricts my movement).

(Oh and I hate running. In the event of a zombie Apocalypse, I will be letting the zombies eat my brains rather than try to escape!)
Click to expand...
I have always been a pretty active person, but in more recent years not in a gym or sport sort of way.

When looking to up my movement (why burden yourself with the word exercise?) a bit, I just started parking further from the supermarket entrance, or at the top of the High Street, if I wanted a shop a the bottom, and I "banned" using the car under a certain distance (unless tipping it down or I need to carry VERY heavy bags), and have stuck with that for the last 10 years. I also try to use the loo upstairs, if I am down and vice versa.

The most important part of exercise, from a blood sugar perspective is activating the big muscle groups, so rising from sitting, or beginning walking. That sort of thing.

Take it steady to start with and try to embed easy to maintain habits. No point writing exercise cheques your body or mind can't cash.
 
I do aquafit twice a week as the water supports my body and removes the pain. Both my pools do evening sessions, for workers. It's sociable, particularly when you stop for a drink afterwards (peppermint tea in my case and pass on the biccies!).
 
Yes, walking is my "go to" but I was trying to think of other things that might be more appealing or fun for someone who struggles to motivate themselves to go out.
 
Thank You all (I was going to try and quote reply everyone but I hadn't expected so many lovely replies).

I live rurally, so no excuse for not going out for a lovely Autumnal walk. My husband heads out several nights a week. I might join him for a few (even if I will slow him down with my short legs!) As I've mentioned in a few other thread, I changed jobs last week. Before, I had an hour and 20 commute morning and night. It just became habit to be so tired and climb into pj's and refuse to move for the rest of the night. My commute is 15 mins now so much less excuse not to make more of my evenings.

@rebrascora: I love dancing. I did ballet lessons as a child. I was enthusiastic, if not naturally gifted! Then, after kids, I did try to tone my mum tum by going to Zumba which I loved. I think me and Alexa may need to get back to having a waltz whilst I clear the kitchen.My physiotherapist for my arthritis would approve!

When I was in 6th form, we used to have to participate in some form of PE on a Wednesday afternoon. We were right next to the local pool so I'd go and swim a mile every week. I had forgotten until @Martin.A and @Felinia mentioned swimming and aquafit.

I think I just needed to be reminded that there were movement activities (I agree @AndBreathe about reframing it as something other than exercise) I really enjoyed and if I can just get over to temptation to flop on the sofa, I'd probably enjoy them again.
 
BobbleHat said:
I think I just needed to be reminded that there were movement activities (I agree @AndBreathe about reframing it as something other than exercise) I really enjoyed and if I can just get over to temptation to flop on the sofa, I'd probably enjoy them again.
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Sounds great @BobbleHat

This is such a great topic, and a very useful thread.

Keep us posted with what you decide to try, and how it works out. 🙂
 
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