Help with exercise and back problem.

B

Beetee07

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
Hi all I have a curve in my spine that prevents me from standing for more than 5 minutes so exercise is pretty much non existent.

I need to loose at least 3 stone and at this present time I'm struggling with eating healthy food.


only been diagnosed in the last 6 months and really struggling how do you all cope.

Im going away on holiday in a few days to Spain so hoping the food out there will give me some insperation.

any advise is greatly appreciated but really struggling.
 
Ok, there will be some exercises you can do, so don't despair. Remember that your target exercise does not have to be done all in one go. Five minutes standing exercise done 3x a day is 15 minutes done, but moving on ...

I found these links to chair based exercises
NHS Sitting exercises
british heart foundation chair exercises
NHS Chair-based pilates video workout

Then as any exercise beats none, you could check out exercises you can do lying down (I did a search using bedbound). I have not looked at these at all, as I did not wish to download the PDF
Bed exercises and stretches - Royal Berkshire (NHS)
Bed based exercises - merseywestlancs (NHS)
Bed-Based Exercise Programme - Oxford University Hospitals
Bed Exercises - Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

Remember
these are not recommendations - always ensure an exercise is appropriate for you and your health conditions​
you can make exercises more challenging by adding wrist / ankle weights and increasing repetitions.​
 
s'nic said:
Ok, there will be some exercises you can do, so don't despair. Remember that your target exercise does not have to be done all in one go. Five minutes standing exercise done 3x a day is 15 minutes done, but moving on ...

I found these links to chair based exercises
NHS Sitting exercises
british heart foundation chair exercises
NHS Chair-based pilates video workout

Then as any exercise beats none, you could check out exercises you can do lying down (I did a search using bedbound). I have not looked at these at all, as I did not wish to download the PDF
Bed exercises and stretches - Royal Berkshire (NHS)
Bed based exercises - merseywestlancs (NHS)
Bed-Based Exercise Programme - Oxford University Hospitals
Bed Exercises - Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

Remember
these are not recommendations - always ensure an exercise is appropriate for you and your health conditions​
you can make exercises more challenging by adding wrist / ankle weights and increasing repetitions.​
Click to expand...
Thank you will have a look and see what I can manage.
 
Beetee07 said:
I need to loose at least 3 stone and at this present time I'm struggling with eating healthy food.
Click to expand...
Oops, I forgot this.
Is your struggle due to food preparation, or being unsure what foods are best?
Do you remember how long ago your last HbA1c was and what the result of it was?
 
its a bit of both when first Diagnosed I was being as good as I could.

but as time has gone on I don't know what to eat which in turn I can't be bothered to prep either.
 
Basically smaller portions of foods with sugars or carbs in them should help your blood sugars. Since sugar is a carb then it's easier to remember to just look on the back of a packet to find out how many "Total Carbohydrates" it has "per 100g".
You can still eat carbs, but smaller portions of high carb foods will help.

Many members have found that a reduction in carbs has assisted their weight loss.
Higher carb foods include cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and anything containing a lot of flour (eg cakes, biscuits)
New / baby potatoes have less carbs than the larger potatoes

Have a read of this post which makes some food / cooking suggestions.
I have health issues and I like short cuts and low effort cooking.
If planning to eat the same veg in a few meals it makes no sense making the effort to cook fresh every day when it can be cooked once and refrigerated, then reheated in the microwave, or by steaming it.
And the same for meals which can be portioned and frozen. Cook once, and you can have a batch of healthy meals in the freezer.
 
Hi @Beetee07 and welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with movement because of your back. In addition to what s'nic has mentioned, there were a range of exercises filmed during covid by the Active Lifestyles on Youtube. They mostly have seated ones, but for different ranges and abilities of motion. I suggest speaking to your GP before doing these, to make sure you stay safe, but if you're a visual learner - they might help too.
 
I have looked at some of the exercises in this youtube channel
www.youtube.com

HT Physio – Over-Fifties Specialist Physio

Welcome to HT Physio – The Over-Fifties Physiotherapy Specialists! We are the leading specialists in helping over-fifties to overcome painful problems, regain mobility and maintain independence. Founded by Will Harlow, physiotherapy clinic owner and published author, HT Physio helps over-fifties...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
I don't have a back problem but need to exercise sensibly which I haven't done for years and am well into the age group he caters for. There are plenty of exercises that are chair based or are done on a bed. Some of them refer to specific spinal problems. My sister has started to bend and has a lot of pain from osteoporosis. The osteoporosis society has a lot of videos which may give you an idea. Have you ever had physio for your condition.? Maybe when you return refreshed from holiday you can ask your medical practice for advice.
When you say you have only been diagnosed 6 months is that a blood test indicating you are close to being diabetic?
I have a blood test once a year as i have high blood pressure. In June i was told my cholestral had crept up and i then asked for confirmation i was tested for diabetes. They agreed to test. From then i cut out meat except for occasional chicken and ate more fish. I was shocked in July to have reading of 69 then 64. I thought i would get a warning. I knew i was overweight and sometimes made poor choices. It can be overwhelming. A lot of the meals on this site I thought innappropriate for me until ive sorted my cholestral - it did go down between the two blood tests. However adopting a low carb approach has meant i have lost a stone and a half since the appointment. I still have occasional treats and a few slices of bread a week. I miss rice pasta and potatoes though i have had chips twice and new potatoes a few times. I havent yet exercised much apart from gardening and short walks 10 to 20 minutes. Not sure if your mobility prevents this.

Do check the carbs in foods you want to eat. There is a huge variety with different fruit and some veg is starchy. Im expecting to grow gills soon. I am eating so much fish.
I am so jealous you are going to Spain. I learnt Spanish in the sixth form decades ago. I went back to Spanish classes some time ago and enjoy reading Spanish and listening to the music. Put some Manu Chao on or Shakira and you'll be moving around and practicing your Spanish. The last time I went was 2017 to Bilbao but I have been to lots of different places. I actually had a portion of paella served from a Spanish food truck in my local pub last month. I have had beautifull fish and shell fish in Spain. If you can sit outside in the sunshine eating good fish you will relax. I like hake/ merluza a fish similar to cod. If you keep an eye on portion size and limit bread I'm sure you will be fine.
.
 
saffron15 said:
I have looked at some of the exercises in this youtube channel
www.youtube.com

HT Physio – Over-Fifties Specialist Physio

Welcome to HT Physio – The Over-Fifties Physiotherapy Specialists! We are the leading specialists in helping over-fifties to overcome painful problems, regain mobility and maintain independence. Founded by Will Harlow, physiotherapy clinic owner and published author, HT Physio helps over-fifties...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
I don't have a back problem but need to exercise sensibly which I haven't done for years and am well into the age group he caters for. There are plenty of exercises that are chair based or are done on a bed. Some of them refer to specific spinal problems. My sister has started to bend and has a lot of pain from osteoporosis. The osteoporosis society has a lot of videos which may give you an idea. Have you ever had physio for your condition.? Maybe when you return refreshed from holiday you can ask your medical practice for advice.
When you say you have only been diagnosed 6 months is that a blood test indicating you are close to being diabetic?
I have a blood test once a year as i have high blood pressure. In June i was told my cholestral had crept up and i then asked for confirmation i was tested for diabetes. They agreed to test. From then i cut out meat except for occasional chicken and ate more fish. I was shocked in July to have reading of 69 then 64. I thought i would get a warning. I knew i was overweight and sometimes made poor choices. It can be overwhelming. A lot of the meals on this site I thought innappropriate for me until ive sorted my cholestral - it did go down between the two blood tests. However adopting a low carb approach has meant i have lost a stone and a half since the appointment. I still have occasional treats and a few slices of bread a week. I miss rice pasta and potatoes though i have had chips twice and new potatoes a few times. I havent yet exercised much apart from gardening and short walks 10 to 20 minutes. Not sure if your mobility prevents this.

Do check the carbs in foods you want to eat. There is a huge variety with different fruit and some veg is starchy. Im expecting to grow gills soon. I am eating so much fish.
I am so jealous you are going to Spain. I learnt Spanish in the sixth form decades ago. I went back to Spanish classes some time ago and enjoy reading Spanish and listening to the music. Put some Manu Chao on or Shakira and you'll be moving around and practicing your Spanish. The last time I went was 2017 to Bilbao but I have been to lots of different places. I actually had a portion of paella served from a Spanish food truck in my local pub last month. I have had beautifull fish and shell fish in Spain. If you can sit outside in the sunshine eating good fish you will relax. I like hake/ merluza a fish similar to cod. If you keep an eye on portion size and limit bread I'm sure you will be fine.
.
Click to expand...
Hi yes I’ve been diagnosed as type 2 diabetes I can’t stand for very long so have to use a mobility scooter to get about.
I’m actually under the pain management clinic at our local hospital and am waiting for my next course of back injections but there is a years wait for them.
I had managed to start to useing a pedal machine in doors which I’ll be getting back to when I get back.
I think the biggest problem for me is food I’ve got books and apps for carb counting but the biggest thing is knowing what to have for the best.
 
Beetee07 said:
I think the biggest problem for me is food I’ve got books and apps for carb counting but the biggest thing is knowing what to have for the best.
Click to expand...
Assuming you have no other dietary requirements (eg high cholesterol or food allergies), I'd say just pick food you like, having a smaller portion of items high in carbs.
If you want to avoid high fat to assist weight loss then you can look at that too. Just don't try restrict yourself too much or nothing will be left to eat. Just aim for sensible 🙂
 
I think top priority is to have a good holiday and lessen stress. I am very new to this having only been diagnosed last month. Before I requested a diabetes test the chat was about my creeping cholestral. However items I cut out to reduce cholestral tended to be high in fat or sugar and carb heavy. I ate lots more fish and shell fish which is effectively carb free. All carbs turn into sugar. The site mentions meals with meat but I'm only eating chicken. I have had a few treats eg a paella from a food truck at my local pub but I didn't order the sides of patatas bravas. I've had chips twice and new potatoes twice. I do eat bread but tend to have it as a sandwich in our local cafes. I occasionally buy bread but get robust rye. I have recently had a piece of tarta de Santiago which is delicious and flourless. I have a sleeping greedy gene so don't buy items I can say _ ill just have one more eg biscuits. I have eggs or yoghurt and berries for breakfast.

You either need to go on holiday saying you don't want the stress of decisions and will try and eat less or you make decisions before you go checking the carbs in the type of choices you are likely to make eg you might decide to have ice cream once and fruit rest of the time. Carbs in fruit are very variable so work out the better choices. Some is going to depend on your companions and the type of accommodation you have. If you are by the coast beach bars will have delicious fish and shellfish. If you are going to local cafes the menu del día will have more structure though you may decide to ignore the bread. Tapas are delicious but more difficult to gauge. Some will be good others not so good.

Obviously this advice is without knowing your health conditions or medications for example some medicine diabetics take requires a certain level of carbs. You will be surprised how much you can eat. My sister suffers from severe back pain and I suspect the benefits of good weather and a happy holiday are what are going to give you health benefits.
 
Food does not need to be complicated and simple things which can be prepared quickly or made in bulk and frozen for home made ready meals could make life easier. Investing in a slow cooker or air fryer can make it easier.
This link has lots of ideas which you may find useful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Beetee07 said:
Hi all I have a curve in my spine that prevents me from standing for more than 5 minutes so exercise is pretty much non existent.

I need to loose at least 3 stone and at this present time I'm struggling with eating healthy food.


only been diagnosed in the last 6 months and really struggling how do you all cope.

Im going away on holiday in a few days to Spain so hoping the food out there will give me some insperation.

any advise is greatly appreciated but really struggling.
Click to expand...
I have mild scoliosis which over the years has affected my back and hip so like you I can't stand or walk for more than a few minutes. I have found I can exercise in the pool and go to aquafit twice a week. The water supports me and I can exercise pain free.
 
Hi, have you heard of Carbs & Cals? They have books and apps that I find are really helpful as they provide pictures of portion sizes. Hope you had a good holiday.
 
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