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Lighten Your Limbs With Friends
Hello all. I have Diabetes 2 and have avoided exercise for over 2 1/2 years. I am overweight and know that I need to get moving and lose weight. I have always had excuses not to do anything much before. I have a treadmill, and I look at it, but I never use it. A few weeks ago, I decided that it is time to lighten my limbs. I received my Mayo newsletter. and it included a twelve-week Exercise Plan. It was like fate that I had decided to exercise and Mayo dropped the perfect routine in my lap. Because it's 12 weeks and not years and years, as some plans are, the Mayo is doable. They're not asking me to run a marathon!
It's a way to get stronger and healthier. However, one part was missing: I need to be accountable to somebody else. I would love for other Connects to join me so that we could celebrate our success each week. I don't want to wait to January when all we hear is "New Year, New You." So I thought it would be good to start before the bombardment of ads for gym equipment and promises to lose many pounds too fast (and gain it back even faster). I needed a plan that will work for me and anybody else, and Mayo has given it to us.
Let's get a jump on 2019 by finishing strong in 2018. If we start the first week on Friday, November 2, 2018 (only four days from now), it will propel us through the weekend and keep us going. Just think: By January 25th, we will have completed the 12 weeks. Just when other people are trying to keep their exercise resolutions, we'll have finished 12 weeks. We'll be lighter, heathier, and stronger. We also will have gotten into the habit of exercising and hopefully, do another 12 weeks. Doesn't that sound good? To be able to say, "I'm healthier and feel so much better and have lighter limbs." For the first time I am excited to exercise, but I need others to come along with me. I need the accountability.
Please join me and give it a try. Come along with me so we can say it's not just my 12 weeks, but it's our 12 weeks. The first week asks us to do 5 minutes of warm up, five minutes of brisk walking, and five minutes of cool down. That's only 15 minutes. I can do that! The walking is the speed that you are comfortable with. The warm up and cool down are just slower walking. It can be outside, in your house, at a gym---wherever you feel comfortable and whatever time of day is convenient. Nothing required except determination and desire to make it 12 weeks.
I'll post the exercise times for each week once we get started. Let's give this gift to ourselves and improve throughout the holidays. If you have any questions, send me a note, and I'll answer what I have from Mayo.
Everybody's walking! Sounds great to me.
@retiredteacher
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That is fantastic that you all set a goal to complete this 12 week walking plan and you have reached that goal! Congratulations to everyone involved!
And what better time, than to give a kudos to @retiredteacher by sharing her member spotlight. Learn more about Carol and her journey to Connect, with more on what makes her tick, her interests outside of Connect, as well as sharing some wisdom from Atticus Finch.
Turning on the Lights: Meet @retiredteacher: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/newsfeed/turning-on-the-lights-meet-retiredteacher/
Be sure to subscribe (+Follow) the About Connect page https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/ and see new member spotlights published every 2 weeks.
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3 Reactions@retiredteacher Carol, you are doing so great. I am really impressed with how you are doing and how you have you have inspired others. I know you walk indoors, so I presume you are walking alone. I think for outdoor walkers it must be nice to have a companion. My sister and her husband walk pretty much daily, sometimes two times a day.
My whole family is amazed that I go to a gym! I was so overweight and out of shape for so long. It has certainly been a journey for me. I never really thought about the fact that exercising is probably what is helping me with my diabetes, but after reading many posts I am sure that it is. That helps to give me more incentive to keep it up.
JK
@retiredteacher I love your profile, it's great to get to know you better and to see a picture of you.
I love tiramisu also, but I haven't had it in a very long time. I would indulge once in a great while but the opportunity has not presented itself, so I can't take credit for having the will-power to resist.
JK
Congratulations @retiredteacher @marvinjsturing @contentandwell and @hopeful33250 for completing the 12-week exercise program. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am of you. And now that you're in the rountine, why not start a new session and keep moving forward?
CONGRATS!!
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4 Reactions@colleenyoung I started my second 12 weeks Friday and have my chart ready to check off days with a flourish. This Mayo Plan has been a wonderful addition and is now part of my routine, and my husband is walking too for his heart. The others who walked have become good virtual friends, and I think they plan to continue also.
Staying On the Road Again with Willie!
Carol
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3 Reactions@colleenyoung I know I will keep moving forever at this point. It's a necessity. As you age they say that strengthening is really important so I do a number of that type of exercise at the gym, along with the treadmill or the elliptical. It honestly seems as if on days I do not exercise I gain weight.
Today I didn't get to the gym so I did 7 miles on my recumbent bike. We head to Denver on Thursday for a week so that's going to be tough -- no real exercise probably unless I can get my son to take me to his place. Even so, here I get some exercise in daily. I know that won't happen there.
That brings up another thing -- I may not be around much, we have a lot of plans while we are visiting.
JK
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1 Reaction@retiredteacher Carol, that's great that your husband is walking with you too. Will you walk outside at all when weather permits? I would love to get my husband to take walks with me, but that's not going to happen.
JK
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1 Reaction@jk No we do not walk outside. Our rural community has no sidewalks or street lights, and we like to walk first thing in the morning. So we both use the treadmill. I walk first and then start prepping for lunch as he walks. It's helped us both. He had his first yearly heart check last week and got a good report. His cardiologist told him to keep walking. I have my endo appointment in a couple of weeks, so I hope he tells me I'm good to go too. We also walk our stairs since we live in a two story house. That is still hard for me, but I'm working at it. I made up my mind that exercise is necessary, and that's all it took. Once I make up my mind, I'm stubborn.
I hope you have a wonderful time in Denver.
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher Your neighborhood sounds similar to mine -- no streetlights, no sidewalks. I have not walked outside much but do hope to in better weather. Our street is a side street so not too much traffic, and there are many walkers. My town also has a number of walking paths that I might try out. One is by the Merrimack River which runs through NH, and it's closed part of the year because that's when the bald eagles are nesting with their little ones, so they do not want them disturbed. There's a lot of wildlife here, which does concern me a bit if I am walking on an isolated trail. People see bears, lots of fox, and recently a lot of bobcats.
JK
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1 ReactionI used to walk quite a bit. I quit walking during my cancer treatment. Now that I'm walking again, I am going to continue. Thanks @retiredteacher, for getting me On The Road Again!
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3 Reactions