Exercise Is Important Even If You're Not Athletic

"I'm not the sporty type and going to the gym has no appeal to me. What should I do? My doctor told me I have to exercise to help lower my blood sugar levels!" If you have said or thought about something similar to this before, this article is for you.

Let's get the facts straight. Physical activity is not only good for you... it's essential. Without exercise, you're in for a life plagued by illness and worry. All may be well while you're sedentary now, but what guarantee is there you won't be severely ill just a couple years from now? Perhaps a scenario where you're permanently in a hospital bed is too extreme and unrealistic. But, considering you might be a Type 2 diabetic...

• with heart or circulation problems,
• pain or numbness in your joints and limbs,
• malfunctioning kidneys, and
• vision problems

it's not a ridiculous notion. These complications are in fact real possibilities for all diabetics.

To prevent these complications developing, it helps if you're eating well and exercising. Eating a healthy diet is straightforward. But how do you start to follow an exercise program if you've never been the athletic type! It's quite easy.

First, know to actually exercise does not necessarily mean you have to play an intense team or individual sport. Many people believe to be physically active, you have to be a basketball or football player, or a runner that competes on a regular basis. This fact could not be further from the truth. Even if there were some truth to it, why would you allow what others determine to be the rule to define you in the first place?

As with all things in life it pays to establish your rules and limitations, especially when it applies to physical activity. Don't think you have to workout exclusively in a gym, either. If you're on a path to weight loss, don't think you have to jog or run to succeed.

There are many ways to go about becoming physically active...

1. For starters, you can begin by walking. Walking is the best exercise for men and women alike. You can walk anywhere and is essentially injury-free. Do a 30-minute walk 4 to 5 times a week and you become physically active.

2. Even if you're not the typical athlete, why not try out a sport? It doesn't need to have a ball or equipment for you to want to play it. Swimming, for instance, is significant physical activity, and odds are you already know how to swim.

3. Why not bike around the neighborhood? Listen to your MP3 player and enjoy the ride.

Be willing to experiment with different ways to exercise. At worst, even if walking is the only option for you, know it works. When it comes to improving overall health, even the simplest exercise can help get the job done. Exercise is just as important as diet and, in many cases, as important as drugs in managing Type 2 diabetes.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9199217

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