The Big Blue Test and a Wider Variety of Exercise

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As I age and various physical limitations like arthritis manifest themselves more prominently, I am grateful to remember some priorities that I explored back when I was first diagnosed (2007). I also have fibromyalgia since 1995 and I was a professional dancer/teacher/choreographer for 40 years: Translation: Analyzing movement and what it does is in my blood and bones and soul for decades.

While there is absolutely no flaw in the inspiring, gorgeously produced BBT videos, I'd like to suggest a broader focus on types of exercise based on two things I have come to believe almost religiously:

1. If you want to treat diabetes "by the book", you need to write a new book for every diabetic.

2. "It's all about the carbs." And I am not touting any controversial level of carb-counting. Whether you need to bolus for mashed potatoes or you are not on any meds yet, you need to be conscious of your carb intake. Working off some carbs can be done by things like vacuuming (I put on Springsteen!), doing laundry when it requires stairs and bending and stretching, stepping in place (maybe with a blast of Vivaldi) while you do the dishes, chasing your new puppy around the yard and rolling around with him, or tossing a tennis ball for him and retrieving it when he won't. Walking briskly between chores and taking the long way around to get there, at work or at home. In my house, with 7 cats, cleaning cat boxes takes care of a lot of carbs! Yes, of course, it takes a bit more to burn calories, but burning off some carbs can be easily integrated into daily routines. And that is what some of us need as much as burning calories.

And, if necessary, the internet makes it easy to find things like "Yoga for Arthritis." Or "Sitting Exercise." All of which is just to say: I'd like to evolve a wider, more inclusive visual catalogue of things we can do to stay healthy with The D. For some of us, even walking gets difficult. Where is the imagery that gives us hope of living with The D?

Blessings on us all and our diverse pathways to living with The D!.....Judith in Portland

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Judith your ideas are so great

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a really good idea Judith. I'd love to have someone do a dance video for someone like me. I once lived in a high rise apartment building with a dance studio on the ground floor. I signed up for jazz classes, and it was almost comical. It took me several months before I understood what "step - ball change" meant, even though the instructor must have said that phrase a hundred times in a lesson. After a year, we had a recital, and I was pretty proud of myself for making it through the routine for "I will Survive".

4

Very nice blog entry. Thank you.

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Thanks so much for this great suggestion for next year's Big Blue Test! I will be sure the rest of the DHF team reads this :)

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Judith,
Always so mindful... Love the ideas. Thanks for sharing them!

Sending you a BIG BLUE HUG from soon-to-be-pounded-by-rain-and-wind Berkeley! (I suspect you guys are going to get quite a bit of it too in Portland)