Diabetic Living USA – July 2019

Remake

12 DI ABETIC LI VING / FALL 2 019

Squad Goals

Exercising with others can keep you accountable

and motivated. Ready to fi nd your people?

BY CHRISTINE YU

In one study, people

who cycled with a

partner rode twice

as long as those who

pedaled solo.

ANNALS OF

BEHAVIORAL

MEDICINE

TE

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IM

AG

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• Tell us about your latest workout at Facebook.com/DiabeticLiving
  BE AN INSTIGATOR Don’t wait.
  Suggest a walking meeting at work or
  invite a colleague to a lunchtime fi tness
  class. At diabetes education sessions or
  other meet-ups, ask if anyone wants to go
  for a walk before or aft erward. Or, strike
  up a conversation with someone you see
  regularly at your gym or on your walking
  route and ask if they want to meet up. It’s
  a sneaky way to squeeze in activity while
  building relationships. When you know
  someone’s waiting for you, you’re less
  likely to skip out, says Chris Memering,
  RN, CDE, of CarolinaEast Medical.
  GET SOCIAL On social media, that is.
  “It’s a great way to fi nd each other,” says
  Christel Oerum, a Los Angeles-based
  certifi ed personal trainer and owner of
  Diabetes Strong. On Twitt er and Ins-
  tagram, follow (and use!) hashtags like
  #T2D, #type2diabetes, #IMovedToday,
  #type1warrior, #beyondtype2, #diabadass,
  and #type1strong. Posting to your social
  network can keep you accountable. While
  you may not exercise with your internet
  friends, they’ll be waiting for your next up-
  date. You can also use social media to fi nd
  face-to-face buddiestry location-based
  networks like Nextdoor (nextdoor.com) or
  your community Facebook group.

RETHINK YOUR DEFINITION OF

SUPPORT Your workout buddy doesn’t

have to sweat with you side-by-side.

Enlist a family member or friend to join

you, even if they live far away. Text or

FaceTime before or aft er the gym. Join

the same streaming workout or set up a

challenge using your Fitbit or Garmin app.

If you have access to a treadmill or bicycle

trainer, try using Zwift (z w i ft. c o m), which

allows you to join friends or groups for

real-time walks, runs, or rides in a virtual

world. Near or far, friends or strangers,

what matt ers is fi nding the type of support

that works best for you.

DON’T START FROM SCRATCH

Existing exercise classes or groups are a

good way to meet people who are already

interested in fi tness. Plus, the peer support

you get from working out with others can

make your experience more enjoyable, and

safer tooespecially if you experience

a hypoglycemic event, says Memering.

Look for fi tness classes at your local gym,

YMCA, park, or rec center, or through

SilverSneakers, a nationwide program

off ering fi tness classes designed for people

ages 65 and older (silversneakers.com).

Or consider playing in a rec league. If

you have type 1 diabetes, programs like

Type One Run (typeonerun.org) and

Bolus and Barbells (bolusandbarbells.org)

off er ways to connect with other PWDs

through movement.