Friday, May 14, 2010

Exercise...Love it or Hate it? Day 5 of Diabetes Blog Week!

Exercise....shouldn’t that be a four letter word? Actually I do love to exercise.  A good walk or a fun workout is a fabulous way to relieve stress and wind down.  My son with diabetes however thinks that a walk is definitely a four letter word to be avoided at all costs.  The other day we went grocery shopping and then I went for a walk afterwards. I asked him if he wanted to come too. He looked at me like I had three heads.  I said that the exercise would be good for him to which he responded...”I already walked today. I walked in the store with you didn’t I?”

Oy! On the positive side, he does get some exercise.  He walks to and from school each day.  He loves to bounce away on his friend’s trampoline and if he wants to get around to certain places, well his bike is the main source of transportation at his age.

He isn’t into sports or organized activities so I don’t have to worry about temporary basals and snacks.  When he swims with friends or school, it is more of a worry about sites staying in than him going low. 

We tend to use the “five rule” for most exercise.  The rule says “Never drive if you are under 5” (90 for our American friends but it doesn’t have the same ring).  We say it...Never exercise if you are under five! That has served us pretty well. We try to use a snack with fat or protein if he is going to exercise and is close to the magic five. 

My son is not a big hiker or jogger.  He does not spend a lot of time throwing a ball on the ball field.  He will help you mow the lawn.  He will haul around some rocks for a fire pit.  He is a hands on kind of kid but exercise will most likely stay as a bad word for him for a few years yet. 

1 comment:

  1. No "90" does not have the same ring, but that's ok - same concept and we can still use the rhyme and just convert!

    ReplyDelete