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R

Rick Ashworth

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all and thank you for welcoming me. I've been type-1 for 15 years and all well and good so far...?
My question is for anyone as I'm trying to sort out how to hold an exercise class just for diabetics but want it to be more a social group who do a bit of exercise rather than a boot camp and I was wondering what one thing would help either 1/2 live better and, therfore, that I can brotch in the class? Thank you for any feedback, greatly appreciated.
Finally, I'm running 100 miles in a day and taking part in a three day ultra triathlon to raise money for Diabetes UK, if you'd like to check it out (you don't have to donate) my page is: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rickashworthdiabetes
Thank you again, Rick
 
I hate you!

I have worked up to a slow amble of about one mile a day and was felling pleased with myself until you came along.

(I don't really hate you)
 
Hi Rick
Good luck with the run, hope it goes well 🙂
I’m not the best person to ask about exercise classes, I’m quite sporty so I don’t currently have any barriers to exercise. I’m not a great joiner of things though, I don’t respond well to encouragement I’ve realised, nor do I react well to discipline but that’s possibly because I’m very motivated and a teeny bit awkward. That said though I often think it would be good for social exercise to take a page out of the kid’s book. Most of us as kids ran around playing tag, hopscotch, wrangling with monkey bars etc without a second thought. Mostly because it was fun, it wasn’t about exercising or losing weight or building core strength it was just fun. If you watch most adults who would never go to a gym most will get up and play with kids. There’s a lot of destructive language around exercise I find, when in fact it’s just playing really isn’t it? People have lots of psychological barriers about things, but few people have barriers about playing because it’s just playing. I saw someone using giant twister a few weeks ago, essentially to improve flexibility and strength. They were having a great time with it, and a friend of mine is currently doing fancy dress aerobics which she’s loving, they’ve done Jane Fonda, beetle juice, neon 90’s so far. That’s very clever because the group are competitive about the fancy dress, it’s fun so they get involved and it distracts people from the concern about what they look like in aerobics gear because the focus is to look ridiculous. All that rambling is basically to say make it fun 🙂
 
leonS said:
I hate you!

I have worked up to a slow amble of about one mile a day and was felling pleased with myself until you came along.

Just keep going, one step to the next (literally in this case), you'll get better with each passing day. Just getting in some activity is good so you're well ahead already (big thumbs up emoji)!
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KookyCat said:
Hi Rick
Good luck with the run, hope it goes well 🙂
I’m not the best person to ask about exercise classes, I’m quite sporty so I don’t currently have any barriers to exercise. I’m not a great joiner of things though, I don’t respond well to encouragement I’ve realised, nor do I react well to discipline but that’s possibly because I’m very motivated and a teeny bit awkward. That said though I often think it would be good for social exercise to take a page out of the kid’s book. Most of us as kids ran around playing tag, hopscotch, wrangling with monkey bars etc without a second thought. Mostly because it was fun, it wasn’t about exercising or losing weight or building core strength it was just fun. If you watch most adults who would never go to a gym most will get up and play with kids. There’s a lot of destructive language around exercise I find, when in fact it’s just playing really isn’t it? People have lots of psychological barriers about things, but few people have barriers about playing because it’s just playing. I saw someone using giant twister a few weeks ago, essentially to improve flexibility and strength. They were having a great time with it, and a friend of mine is currently doing fancy dress aerobics which she’s loving, they’ve done Jane Fonda, beetle juice, neon 90’s so far. That’s very clever because the group are competitive about the fancy dress, it’s fun so they get involved and it distracts people from the concern about what they look like in aerobics gear because the focus is to look ridiculous. All that rambling is basically to say make it fun 🙂
Click to expand...

Love that fancy dress thing. Yes, I don't want to start a class where the onus is to lie in a sweaty puddle by the end. You sound rather like me in that I don't like doing group stuff so much (although I'm pretty competitive so when it comes to that I do find I push a bit harder). Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
Maybe stuff like organising a game of rounders or frizzbe or going to one of those Go Ape places. I think @KookyCat makes a very good point that as adults we lose the opportunity to play and exercise can become a chore or routine. Something that makes us feel better but we don't necessarily have fun doing. If you can find a way to make it OK for adults to play and get exercise in the process, that might be a winner.
 
PS. I too am in awe of 100 miles in a day! Good on you!
 
I would love to go to something like this and socialise as well as exercise. As a matter of interest what part of the country are you in
 
SueEK said:
I would love to go to something like this and socialise as well as exercise. As a matter of interest what part of the country are you in
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Hi Sue, thank you for the positive response, I'm in Cheshire. You're numbers look like you're managing well now, keep it up, stay focused and stay positive.
 
Rick Ashworth said:
Hi Sue, thank you for the positive response, I'm in Cheshire. You're numbers look like you're managing well now, keep it up, stay focused and stay positive.
Click to expand...
Thank you Rick, not sure I’m up to travelling to Cheshire from the south coast but hope all goes well, it’s a great idea.
 
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