Page 10 - Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2013

Don’t let diabetes scare you away
from exercise. When you have this
chronic condition, it’s important to
keep your body moving.
“Exercise can help improve blood sugar
levels,” says Paige Jones, a Registered
Dietitian and Certified Diabetes
Educator at Mercy Medical Center
Redding (MMCR). “Exercise improves
insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels,
decreases stress and anxiety, and
burns calories, which contributes to
weight loss. Physical activity is key to
preventing and controlling diabetes.”
Before you begin, talk with your health
care practitioner and find out what
type of exercise is safe and effective
for you. He or she will also be able to
tell you how to keep your blood sugar
in balance while exercising.
Chooseyourmoves
If you’re a beginner, start by boost-
ing your activity in small ways. For
example, skip the elevator and walk
up the stairs. Or leave your car at
home and walk to do errands.
As a next step, you might try walking
for 15 minutes, three days a week. You
can do this after lunch or after work.
Then find other ways to add activity
to your day, such as joining MMCR’s
free Mall Walkers program or taking a
water aerobics class. Exercising with a
friend can also be helpful—and fun.
No matter what you choose to do, try
to build up to about 30 minutes of
exercise each day.
To help you manage and prevent diabetes,
Mercy Medical Center Redding offers a Living Well
with Diabetes class and a Mall Walkers program.
Visit redding.mercy.org or call 888.628.1948 for
more information. Individual diabetes counseling is
also available with physician referral.
Sources: American Diabetes Association; Nutrition Action Health letter,
Dec. 2012
Diabetes + exercise = a healthier life
Sean Busby, professional
snowboarder and guide,
doesn’t let his diabetes stop
him from enjoying an active life.
—continued from page 9
Smith with encouraging him
during one of their weekly chats to
ask his doctor about exercise.
“When I first started this program,
I was not doing any exercise,” James
says. “Jeanette convincedme I
should start doing some light stuff.”
Heartfelt response
According to James, the CHF pro-
gram has made “all the difference
in the world.” He adds that “any-
body who doesn’t take advantage
of it isn’t very clever.”
Ronald says the program has
made himmore aware of what
he needs to do to take care of his
health. “They showed me what
would make me feel better,” he
says. “And it actually helped me
understand that it really does make
a difference.”
“They showed me what would
make me feel better. And it
actually helped me understand
that it really does make a
difference.”
—Ronald Davis,
congestive heart failure patient
Photo by Bret Christensen
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