I try to get a walk in every work day (I take the weekends off from walking as we usually do much more yard work instead). During the late winter - late spring, I was able to walk at about 2pm each day. It was GREAT! Not only did it help with my post lunch bgs, but it also made the afternoons seem to go faster at work. Once the afternoons started getting too warm, I switched to walking at 10am each day. That time wasn't so bad. I was able to walk off my coffee but the rest of the day went so much slower.
Then full on summer hit. Even 10 am was too warm. If I tried to walk any earlier, after getting to work, I would be setting my stuff down and walking right back out the door. Not only is that silly, but it was too hot then too, and we don't have a shower at work for me to use. So I decided early morning walks would be better. I set my alarm for 5:30 and vowed to not hit snooze.
I've not been as consistent as I wish I was. I know that the walk does me so much good. Not only do my blood sugars behave more throughout the day, it really helps my mood too. I've had a difficult time getting to bed before midnight lately, which of course makes 5:30 really REALLY early. However, the last two days I've been able to do it. I even got sprinkled on yesterday. Real rain drops!! We've not had any measurable rain since early May here, so every rain drop is sacred. Anyways, my pace in the mornings isn't as fast as I was getting in the afternoons, but at least I'm walking, right? But for how much longer, is the question.
The last few days my heel has been downright killing me! I've dealt with plantar fasciitis before and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I fear that it may be setting in again. Unfortunately, if I remember correctly, there isn't a whole lot that can be done. Last time I had my heel and foot taped for a couple weeks, and that helped a lot. Will they do that again? Will he suggest it's time for a cortisone shot? *cringe* I have no problem with shots, but the thought of one in my heel gives me the heebie jeebies. Or will there be a miracle cure that happens as I walk through the door? I'm not holding my breath or anything, but THAT would be nice.
I will be calling my foot doctor later today to make that appointment. In the meantime, please pass the ice pack.
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Monday, October 21, 2013
Time to step up my game
I think there is a automatic shrink machine in my closet and it has targeted my favourite jeans.
Oh how I wish that were true. It's not, and I know it, but I would feel a lot less guilty if it was.
It is easy to come up with reasons NOT to exercise. My first excuse was that my foot hurt. It really did. I had a strangled nerve and a severely damaged tendon in my left foot. Walking just exacerbated the pain. My second excuse was that I was healing from surgery. The incision was quite a bit longer than I had expected it to be, and made wearing shoes more difficult. My third excuse was that it was too hot. Daytime highs were ranging from 108-115 (Fahrenheit). It isn't exactly a good idea to be exercising in that heat.
I'm tired of my excuses.
I'm tired of my favourite jeans not fitting.
I AM doing something about it.
My best friend and I have started a little competition. Every Friday evening at 8:30 we report to each other how many miles we have walked/ran during the week. The one with the most, wins. The prize? Bragging rights. Come one, we all know bragging rights are sometimes the best prize. We wanted to set an attainable goal and increase it overtime. It would be useless to start too high and get discouraged before we even started. A beginning distance of 3 miles per week was agreed upon. As we get more comfortable, and huff and puff less, we will increase the distance. One foreseeable problem is winter. Even though we live in the desert, the winters can get pretty cold. Add in the wind, and no one wants to be outside. Thankfully video games can help. My Wii has a walking game on one of the disks so I'll still be able to get my mileage in.
I know walking is a great first step (pun totally intended). I also know that it isn't enough. I asked the DOC on Twitter last week if anyone had done Zumba and what their opinion was. I received positive feedback about how much fun and how much of a workout it was. I have a problem though. I don't dance. Honestly, I don't. The thought of having to "dance" in front of people will keep me home. This is where video games come into play again. I know that it is a lot easier to make my husband disappear for an hour than it is to tell a room full of people to not look at me.
My husband and I went on a mission yesterday to find me a Zumba game for our Wii. SUCCESS!! Let me tell you, that is one heck of a workout. I started with the tutorial to make sure that I could at least do most of the moves. Barely, but I could. (Yes, my husband disappeared for an hour. No, the cats didn't, but at least they don't have camera phones.) I then did the 20 minute routine for beginners. Overall it took me about an hour. I plan on doing a routine three times a week, and increasing in difficulty a little at a time.
One think I need to work on is remembering to set a temporary basal rate. I didn't this first time, and seeing that 104 on my CGM was nice, but the two arrows down was not. I don't want to run low during, or after, and have to stop and eat something. I also don't want to be high throughout the exercise either. How do I know how much to reduce by? for how long? Sounds like I'll be testing this out for awhile. I doubt I'll get it perfect, but keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get at least close.
Even though I had fun, and will be doing this regularly, I don't expect it to help me be comfortable dancing in public. I'm not sure anything would. I am hoping that this will scare the automatic shrinking machine out of my closet. What do you think?
Oh how I wish that were true. It's not, and I know it, but I would feel a lot less guilty if it was.
It is easy to come up with reasons NOT to exercise. My first excuse was that my foot hurt. It really did. I had a strangled nerve and a severely damaged tendon in my left foot. Walking just exacerbated the pain. My second excuse was that I was healing from surgery. The incision was quite a bit longer than I had expected it to be, and made wearing shoes more difficult. My third excuse was that it was too hot. Daytime highs were ranging from 108-115 (Fahrenheit). It isn't exactly a good idea to be exercising in that heat.
I'm tired of my excuses.
I'm tired of my favourite jeans not fitting.
I AM doing something about it.
My best friend and I have started a little competition. Every Friday evening at 8:30 we report to each other how many miles we have walked/ran during the week. The one with the most, wins. The prize? Bragging rights. Come one, we all know bragging rights are sometimes the best prize. We wanted to set an attainable goal and increase it overtime. It would be useless to start too high and get discouraged before we even started. A beginning distance of 3 miles per week was agreed upon. As we get more comfortable, and huff and puff less, we will increase the distance. One foreseeable problem is winter. Even though we live in the desert, the winters can get pretty cold. Add in the wind, and no one wants to be outside. Thankfully video games can help. My Wii has a walking game on one of the disks so I'll still be able to get my mileage in.
I know walking is a great first step (pun totally intended). I also know that it isn't enough. I asked the DOC on Twitter last week if anyone had done Zumba and what their opinion was. I received positive feedback about how much fun and how much of a workout it was. I have a problem though. I don't dance. Honestly, I don't. The thought of having to "dance" in front of people will keep me home. This is where video games come into play again. I know that it is a lot easier to make my husband disappear for an hour than it is to tell a room full of people to not look at me.
My husband and I went on a mission yesterday to find me a Zumba game for our Wii. SUCCESS!! Let me tell you, that is one heck of a workout. I started with the tutorial to make sure that I could at least do most of the moves. Barely, but I could. (Yes, my husband disappeared for an hour. No, the cats didn't, but at least they don't have camera phones.) I then did the 20 minute routine for beginners. Overall it took me about an hour. I plan on doing a routine three times a week, and increasing in difficulty a little at a time.
One think I need to work on is remembering to set a temporary basal rate. I didn't this first time, and seeing that 104 on my CGM was nice, but the two arrows down was not. I don't want to run low during, or after, and have to stop and eat something. I also don't want to be high throughout the exercise either. How do I know how much to reduce by? for how long? Sounds like I'll be testing this out for awhile. I doubt I'll get it perfect, but keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get at least close.
Even though I had fun, and will be doing this regularly, I don't expect it to help me be comfortable dancing in public. I'm not sure anything would. I am hoping that this will scare the automatic shrinking machine out of my closet. What do you think?
Monday, March 11, 2013
Pain in the butt.. I mean hip.
You know those never ending cycles that annoy us all? The ones where if you do something it causes something else which makes you do, or not do, a third thing and that leads you back to the first thing which leads you back to the second and the third time and time and time again? Ya.. those.
Mine is this: I walk. My hip hurts. I stop walking. Blood sugars and mental state are affected. I walk. My hip hurts. I stop walking. Blood sugars and mental state are affected.. etc. etc. etc.
Let me explain...
I have trochanteric-bursitis in my left hip. It reared it's ugly head after my family trip to Disneyland in 2001. At first I thought I had gone on too many roller coasters and was dealing with sciatica pain. My entire leg ached all the time, and if I moved it just right (wrong) I would get a stabbing pain that ran down the outside of my leg, circled my knee and ended in my ankle. It felt like it 'twanged'. To get in and out of my car, I had to sit down and swing both legs at the same time. Quite the sight, let me tell you.
Figuring it was a result of too much roller coastering, I went to the chiropractor. I don't go too often, but when I do, I really enjoy it. The warm towels, the zappy muscle relaxer thingy (..side thought.. how does this interact with a Dexcom sensor? anyone know?) , the feeling better afterwards. Everything was good the first few visits. I still had the twanging though. One visit, it didn't go so well. One movement just to stretch my leg sent a twang that instantly brought tears to my eyes. I may or may not have screamed. OK.. I did. IT HURT!!
I went to an orthopedic to determine the real problem. That's when I was diagnosed with trochanteric-bursitis. I tried telling the doctor that I was too young for hip problems, but he just laughed. I think he said something like, "Well.. you're just mature beyond your years." We also discovered that my legs are different lengths. Not by much, but enough to cause the problem. (My left leg is about a 1/4 inch longer than my right.) I have an insert I put in all my shoes to help compensate. This had helped immensely! I can really tell if I haven't been using it. I also take naproxen sodium twice a day to help with the inflammation and pain. If I don't take it.. it is only a matter of 2-3 days and it hurts to walk, sit, drive, move, etc. There are different exercises and stretches that help.. and I do them. They make me look like a pretzel lying in the middle of my living room, but they help.
Now jump forward 12 years...wait.. don't jump, it'll hurt. This pain has been rearing it's ugly head again. I am still taking the naproxen and still doing the stretches.. but the pain is back. I have been walking more, and really enjoying it. The walks help clear my head and get me through the afternoon at work easier..not to mention they do GREAT for my post lunch blood sugars. But are the walks causing the pain? According to everything I've been reading.. and remembering.. yes. So here's my dilemma.. do I stop the walking to stop the pain? Do I dose up on more naproxen, or something else (not a good choice for my working organs)? I don't consider either of these options workable. I'll be meeting with my doctor the beginning of April. Hopefully she will have a suggestion.
In the meantime, I sit here on a block of ice (..having insulin home delivered is beneficial, those ice packs come in handy..) deciding if my lunch walk today is worth it.
Mine is this: I walk. My hip hurts. I stop walking. Blood sugars and mental state are affected. I walk. My hip hurts. I stop walking. Blood sugars and mental state are affected.. etc. etc. etc.
Let me explain...
I have trochanteric-bursitis in my left hip. It reared it's ugly head after my family trip to Disneyland in 2001. At first I thought I had gone on too many roller coasters and was dealing with sciatica pain. My entire leg ached all the time, and if I moved it just right (wrong) I would get a stabbing pain that ran down the outside of my leg, circled my knee and ended in my ankle. It felt like it 'twanged'. To get in and out of my car, I had to sit down and swing both legs at the same time. Quite the sight, let me tell you.
Figuring it was a result of too much roller coastering, I went to the chiropractor. I don't go too often, but when I do, I really enjoy it. The warm towels, the zappy muscle relaxer thingy (..side thought.. how does this interact with a Dexcom sensor? anyone know?) , the feeling better afterwards. Everything was good the first few visits. I still had the twanging though. One visit, it didn't go so well. One movement just to stretch my leg sent a twang that instantly brought tears to my eyes. I may or may not have screamed. OK.. I did. IT HURT!!
I went to an orthopedic to determine the real problem. That's when I was diagnosed with trochanteric-bursitis. I tried telling the doctor that I was too young for hip problems, but he just laughed. I think he said something like, "Well.. you're just mature beyond your years." We also discovered that my legs are different lengths. Not by much, but enough to cause the problem. (My left leg is about a 1/4 inch longer than my right.) I have an insert I put in all my shoes to help compensate. This had helped immensely! I can really tell if I haven't been using it. I also take naproxen sodium twice a day to help with the inflammation and pain. If I don't take it.. it is only a matter of 2-3 days and it hurts to walk, sit, drive, move, etc. There are different exercises and stretches that help.. and I do them. They make me look like a pretzel lying in the middle of my living room, but they help.
Now jump forward 12 years...wait.. don't jump, it'll hurt. This pain has been rearing it's ugly head again. I am still taking the naproxen and still doing the stretches.. but the pain is back. I have been walking more, and really enjoying it. The walks help clear my head and get me through the afternoon at work easier..not to mention they do GREAT for my post lunch blood sugars. But are the walks causing the pain? According to everything I've been reading.. and remembering.. yes. So here's my dilemma.. do I stop the walking to stop the pain? Do I dose up on more naproxen, or something else (not a good choice for my working organs)? I don't consider either of these options workable. I'll be meeting with my doctor the beginning of April. Hopefully she will have a suggestion.
In the meantime, I sit here on a block of ice (..having insulin home delivered is beneficial, those ice packs come in handy..) deciding if my lunch walk today is worth it.
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