Last updated on November 26, 2023
Some of my coworkers and friends assume I like exercising. They know I’ve had gym memberships and that I exercise daily. I ride my exercise bike 16 to 20 miles most days, and sometimes 30 miles. The girls and I take a two- or three-mile walk twice a week. We own weights, yoga mats, and have a set time for daily workouts.
I do not like, I do not enjoy, the exercise currently available to us. That does not matter. I have to exercise and I make it a point to hit daily and weekly goals.
Ice skating, I enjoy. Bicycling outside on a “real” bike, I enjoy — at least out in the country; I’m not an urban cyclist. Hikes along a beach or in the mountains? Sure. More than happy to hit 20,000 steps outside somewhere nice.
I do not like gym equipment, not even the gear we own. It’s not the same.
My health matters a lot to me. The health of our daughters matters to Susan and me. We are going to stay in shape, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Despite being stuck at home, or at least stuck in our neighborhood.
Staying healthy requires making choices and taking action. Healthy isn’t sitting in chairs typing, dictating, or watching television. Good health means getting up and moving.
Yes, healthy habits include eating well. I don’t pretend to be perfect, but diabetes means I make a serious effort to minimize carbs and eat well. The girls have commented that we seem to eat salads at least three or four times a week. That’s probably accurate.
It’s not uncommon for me to drink a “plant-based” low-carb shake in the morning, celery and peanut butter at lunch, and a protein with salad for dinner. Still, I have my weaknesses so I have learned to bake low-carb breads, cookies, and cakes. No, they aren’t always great, but they generally beat having no treats at all.
I like food. I like being alive. If I eat, I need to exercise to control my blood sugar. My A1C is 6.5 and I don’t assume it will stay at that level without effort.
I also have to maintain my weight because my back and knees are always in pain. I was in a back brace as a teenager and I have a pinched nerve in my lower back. I hurt less (a bit less) keeping my weight less than 180 pounds. I currently weigh 172 pounds and have maintained that weight throughout the pandemic.
Each morning, I take my multivitamin, B12, iron, and a cinnamon supplement doctors suggested. The B12 and iron help with anemia, which is accompanied by enlarged blood cells. (I don’t pretend to understand the B12 connection.) The cinnamon does seem to reduce the daily glucose readings, so I stick with the routine. I have two prescriptions, one for cholesterol and the other for Type 2 Diabetes.
I hit my goals for exercise time, body weight, and nutrition.
Lists and targets help me. I use MyFitnessPal to track my diet, including carbs, sugars, fiber, protein, fat and so on. The Fitbit app tracks my activity and sleep, both being important to overall wellbeing. These apps share data through Apple Health, which also synchronizes my glucose readings.
The data tell me I that I am usually over my fiber goal, under my carb limit, walking 100,000 steps weekly, and averaging 125 mg/dL (“light yellow”) on the glucose meter. Those data keep me focused on the goals my doctors and I have set.
Health is a family matter.
The girls have a carefully planned exercise routine. We use exercises based on occupational and physical therapy the girls had before we moved to Texas. We work core body strength, arms, legs, and back.
Maybe it is their neurodiversity: the girls don’t have great proprioception. They scissor walk, toe walk… walk into the walls and trip over their own feet. They slouch horribly. We work on balance and motion alongside the strength exercises.
If I exercise, it’s much easier to persuade the girls to exercise. They love our walks together. They aren’t fond of the weight training. They do like yoga, even though they both fall a lot trying to hold poses.
The girls and I miss ice skating. They love water. I do not. Mommy will take the girls to the pool during the summer.
When the pandemic ends, I do want to return to activities that were fun.