Smart tips for new walkers with diabetes

One of the easiest ways to get more fitness into your days is to walk faster every time you are moving from here to there. Merely getting in the habit of faster walking can have a great effect on your fitness levels and diabetes. Read on for some smart tips for incorporating moderate exercise into your life.

This means taking the steps rather than the escalator; cleaning the house every day; getting up and walking around whenever you are talking on your cell phone; being more active in the yard or garden; carrying more stuff, like grocery bags or laundry baskets, up and down the steps.

• Research confirms that active daily living, in which you routinely exert yourself in small ways, is actually superior for your health than a sedentary life augmented with a handful of formal workouts.That's a breakthrough finding, by the way. For decades, health experts focused on intense workouts as the path to fitness.

Go easy on yourself if you're under the weather. If you have the sniffles or have come down with the mystery "bug" that's going around, exercise only if you feel like you have the energy and stamina to do so.

• If you don't feel up to it, give your body the rest it needs and resume your regular exercise routine the minute you feel better.
• But don't let your downtime keep you permanently away from being active — it's all too easy to bag your routine after several days off.
• Recommit, and don't worry if you have to go slow for a few days as you regain your stamina.

You'll avoid most hypoglycemia problems with proper planning (by matching exercise to your drug, insulin and meal regimens), but you should always be prepared for surprise bouts of low blood sugar. Heed this smart advice:

• Know when to stop right away. The second you detect symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as confusion, shaking, lightheadedness or difficulty speaking, stop immediately — not after "just one more minute." Be alert to all symptoms and understand that some of them overlap with natural responses to exercise, such as sweating and rapid heartbeat.
• Carry a snack. A quick carbohydrate snack can rapidly bring dropping blood sugar back up in an emergency — but only if you remember to bring one along. Ten jellybeans or the number of glucose tablets your doctor or certified diabetes educator suggests will do the trick.
• Get a partner. It's not always obvious when hypoglycemia is setting in, so it's wise to work out with somebody else or in a place where other people are available if you need help, especially if you're exercising vigorously.
• Pack ID. Even if you're with a friend, you should carry identification with your name, address and phone number — and those of your doctor. Also have the name of someone to call in an emergency as well as your insulin or drug dosages.

Knowing that active daily living is the best basis for health should give you confidence that you can improve your diabetes without the type of intense exercise you might have envisioned. Keep this guide in mind and incorporate moderate exercise into your daily routine for healthy results.