What does Bernstein say about exercise?
He approves, but accepts that not all diabetics are physically able.
Really, the exercise thing is very complicated. I've been doing this for five years, and indeed, it works. With the low carb regimen plus exercise, my LADA is still controlled without insulin or oral meds. Last A1c was 4.9. However, you need to carefully read the chapters about exercise. I remember Dr. B saying that you should correlate your cortisol to when you exercise - your cortisol is the highest in the am. For the most part, I have adhered to the advice not to exercise within four hours of awakening.
Resistance training has a whole other effect on bg. I still make some glucose, so my bg will go slightly higher. It is not an exact science because I have to figure in the proximity of my last exercise session, how intense it was, what my last meal was like, time of day, etc. If I have an intense cardio two days in a row, or the weather is cold, I have to watch for a drop two hours later.
I'm 60yo, and my pulse is usually 60 or below.
Dr. B has certain restrictions on exercising with high bg, but that number is pretty high.
I get very thirsty the first few minutes of cardio class while the bg clears - I presume from my liver.
I am doing so well that all doctors are frightened that I may stop exercising. Dr. B has muscle definition at his advanced age. I do two hip-hop classes a week, in addition to two Zumba, and try to have two days of lifting weights. I believe in heavy weights.
I have to mention that five years ago, I had an adrenal tumor (Cushing's) causing extensive muscle myopathy. My dh was lifting me out of bed. I could barely walk to the bathroom. Even with the dx of LADA, I have come back by never quitting. I started at the very bottom. I could not raise my arms above my shoulders or walk well.
I would really recommend that you just read them. You can buy the book "Diabetes Solution" or check it out your library. You can read the articles on his web site like this one.
Judith, I so hear you loud and clear!!! I rebounded from the Cushing's (an immunosuppressive state) to an autoimmune explosion having nodules on every segment of my digits and requiring a toilet riser.I had trigger fingers where I struggled to hold the toothbrush. Sometimes, I think that the pain from the arthritis makes the bg rise all on its own. I've injured the connective tissue on one hip because my hip flexors never recovered - though the fast twitch seems to be much better than the slow twitch.
You may be one of the few people in the world that can understand how depressed and crazy I was at the prospect of not dancing forever. The thought was overwhelming, and I had to reach to the very bottom of my soul to tell myself I would still have a good life if I didn't dance. However, it also pushed me so hard with so much pain that it was a bit insane. They gave me three years to recover, and Mayo tacked on a bit more.
My patella rotated like it was sitting in jelly instead of muscle, but it is normal, now...heavy weights. And then,the D...autoimmune...talk about depressing...and me, a chef type cook living on flaxmeal muffins.
I rewarded myself with flamenco lessons, thinking I could do that, but the knees were so weak that the drive on the x-way breaking in traffic was too much. My arms were too weak to hold up in the air.
Eventually, I found Zumba and Hip-hop. Hip-hop was a real stretch for me, but I studied it on You Tube and have a good mind for remembering steps. It is now my passion because I am good at it. I ice my hip and hope that my body will hold out because it is not just the D that is in jeapordy, it is my state of mind, if I can't dance.
The thing when you get older is the lack of growth hormone and sex hormones. The physiatrist started me on DHEA to try to raise the testosterone enough to build muscle.
My niece is a dance major and specializes in hip-hop. She saw a clip of my teacher and I marking steps for others to follow, and she said, "OMG, she killed it!" That is my happy story.
Judith, I should qualify that I probably could dance flamenco, now, but the memory of my abysmal failure in 2008 still inhibits me to try again. One can dance flamenco almost forever, and older dancers are still revered by the audiences. I still keep the pages with footwork patterns to practice. I suggest requesting video recordings from your lending library.