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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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@marvinjsturing I'm way ahead of you on this schedule. I try to get through the day with no nap but don't always succeed. I may have mentioned before, on an appointment with my PCP I mentioned being tired a lot and having to take a nap on many days. His response was "what's wrong with that?". He's in his late 50s but he treats me like I'm his grandmother or something.
My naps generally last about an hour. At that point I awaken to use the bathroom.
JK
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3 Reactions@marvinjsturing It has been some time since I posted because I have not been able to continue the program since March 4th. I am having what I think is neuropathy in my feet, and just walking is like having broken glass everywhere I go. My shoes hurt my feet and it is a real problem to get anywhere. I walk as little as possible, so the time I spent on the treadmill was terrific. I lost inches, felt so much better, had my blood numbers under control and now it was all for nothing. Everything is out of line. No exercise; blood numbers all over the chart; problems going anywhere.
I hope you have been able to continue your exercise and routine to be on target to get your transplant. I think of the walkers who completed the 12 weeks and then continued. We did a good thing for ourselves.
I've love to know how you are doing. I just wanted to touch base. I said I would post my progress and intended to continue after the 12 weeks, but then all heck broke loose. We never know what's coming around the bend.
How are you?
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher Hi, Carol. So sorry to hear about your neuropathy. That has to be miserable. I have neuropathy also. Not sure if it was caused by chemo or my diabetes. My feet don't hurt. They are just numb. I hope things improve for you soon.
I am still walking. I am scheduled for my 6 month PET scan on June 4. While I am in Rochester, they will also do a 1 year re-evaluation to make sure I qualify for a kidney transplant. If all the tests are good, they will put me on the active list. My sister is working on becoming a donor. She has to have some blood tests done in a couple of weeks. If those tests go good, she will go to Mayo for the full slate of tests for donors. If everything works out, I am hoping for a transplant this summer.
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3 Reactions@retiredteacher Carol, I have been thinking about you a lot and planned to PM you but by the time I get through the messages, I have been on for quite a while. It's terrible that you are going through this after you worked so hard and got a group going, walking daily. I really know nothing about neuropathy. Is there anything they can do to help alleviate the pain? It seems to have come on quite suddenly. Did the walking bring it on?
I hope that somehow you will be able to resume your walking, it's so good for you. If you can't walk I presume you can at least use an exercise bike, or perhaps even an elliptical. I know you will try to find something to replace walking if the neuropathy continues.
@marvinjsturing Congratulations on continuing your walking. That really is great. For me, getting in the habit of exercising, if I don't do it I feel guilty! I will never enjoy it but I feel good after I have gone to the gym and gone through my routine -- elliptical, six different machines, and a couple of other things, ending with some 12 pound weights. I spend about an hour there. My son is an exercise fanatic. I texted him today and told him I don't like sweating. He tells me that it's necessary.
Looking forward to hearing how things go after your June appointment. That's wonderful that your sister wants to be your donor. If she is not a good match, will she do a paired donation? Are you on dialysis? I don't know a lot about kidney transplants, do you have to be to the point of being on dialysis before you can get high enough to be a candidate? My niece's husband has been on dialysis for about 4 or 5 years now, waiting for a transplant. I hope he gets it soon, I pray for him nightly.
JK
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3 Reactions@contentandwell I usually have to talk myself into walking, but I always feel better after I exercise. My sister is willing to do a paired donation. I am not on dialysis yet. Four years ago my nephrologist told me I would be on dialysis in a year maybe two. So far, I have been able to get by. I have read that people who get transplants before they need dialysis do better with a transplant. You do not need to be on dialysis to qualify. You just need to have CKD stage 4 or 5. I've been there for 4 years. But when you have pancreatic cancer, you have to be cancer free for 5 years before they will let you have a transplant.
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher I appreciate you posting about your neuropathy. I'm sorry to hear that you have a new diabetes-related problem. I had missed your regular posting and was wondering how you were doing.
I'm wondering if you have tried any chair exercises that would not involve standing? They might help with some aerobic activity (especially when you get your arms above your heart). Here are some YouTube videos with different chair exercises, https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Chair+exercises.
Will you take a look and see if some might be helpful for you?
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1 Reaction@hopeful33250 I looked at the Pilates chair exercises that Susan Lucci advertises on TV. That looks more like what would be good for multiple exercises on one device and it looks really steady. The tread mill is just my first choice so if I can figure out how to manage my feet, I may just have to try to get back to that again, I think my shoes are the biggest problem and going barefoot definitely does not work. I am not sure what I have is neuropathy, but it fits all the symptoms. I haven't been to a Dr. for it. I doubt that anything could be done. It's just one of those things that sometimes goes along with diabetes. Some days the pain isn't so bad, and I should try to treadmill on those days. I'm just going to have to figure this out. I need a routine, but things have been so topsy-turvy that a routine is not possible until I can get everything under control.
Thanks for the chair exercise link. I'll see what might work from that.
Have a wonderful Easter, if you celebrate.
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher
I hope you find an exercise plan that works for you, Carol. Yes, I do celebrate, so I hope you have a wonderful Easter as well, He has Risen!
(I'll have to check out Susan Lucci's exercises.)
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2 Reactions@hopeful33250 I think I will find something that will work for me. I don't know for sure that what I have is neuropathy. I diagnosed myself and the symptoms and the explanation seem to say that's the problem. When I went for my check with my endo, I didn't have it, and I was still walking, but my feet were tender. Then one morning, I awoke and my feet were on fire! In the meantime, I have tried several creams on the soles of my feet and I have tried shoe inserts, but I don't feel any change. I was so into the treadmill groove that I couldn't believe that this happened.
This year so far has not been a good one. My husband was ill for almost two months and has just recently felt like himself again. It was hard to take care of him and be in pain myself, but "in sickness and in health." I have experienced more stress than usual with everything going on and that has not helped either. So as they say when one card falls, the entire card house falls. I continue to think that everything has to get better and that I can get things under control. I just don't understand giving up; it's not my nature. Having diabetes and being a senior citizen are not for sissies!
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher I too hope you find something that you will be able to do comfortably. When you get used to exercising it really feels like things are off if you can't and of course, exercise is not just good for your body, they are now saying it's good for your brain too.
@marvinjsturing Thank you for the info. It sounds as if you will be well on your way fairly soon.
That's interesting too about pancreatic cancer. When you refer to getting a transplant after pancreatic cancer, are you referring to a pancreas, or does pancreatic cancer affect your kidneys? Pancreatic cancer is so frightening, the outcome is not often good.
Have a blessed and Happy Easter, everyone.
JK
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