Exercise shmeksercize

I...am..too..tired. A rainy winter day doesn't help. But overwork, undersleep, two travelling weekends in a row, and too many other worries and activities to count, on top of the usual strenuous schedule of work and childcare, add up to - too much! I've tried to keep some balance by sleeping as much as possible and exercising. I don't go to a gym. I don't like them much, my schedule isn't that conducive to going (even if they had childcare; daughter H is in childcare enough as it is), and I wouldn't be sure my blood sugar is at the right level (neither too low nor too high) at just the right time to fit it into my schedule. I also like to exercise pretty late at night.

Instead, I go for walks as often I as can. I can be pretty flexible about the timing, and eat as much as I need to right before heading out (in addition to using a lower temporary basal rate on my pump). This time of year, that's tough, so I follow a yoga video when I can't get outside. Years ago (before migraines set in for their 14-year visit), I used to run and do aerobics videos. I've gotten in the habit of doing lighter exercises (the heavier stuff would trigger migraines, when I was prone to them). I do occasionally do the aerobics workouts, now that I can, but I find that quick walking is strenuous enough to get my heart going, and it's so much easier to motivate for that. The yoga is great, too. I just did tonight, it at the point where I was tooo exhausted, and it actually gave me a little energy. It's a really easy program, which I think is key for any nighttime effort, especially at the end of a long day!

I also really do get a workout during my time with my daughter. I spend a lot more time standing, leaning over, getting up and down, carrying her (a not insignificant load!), etc. As I've mentioned (oh, maybe once or twice), I actually have to be careful not to go low when I make that sudden shift from sitting on my duff all day for work to my more active time with my daughter.

I've always been suspicious of research that looks at the benefits of regular exercise but only looks at specific activities like running, swimming, and biking. I can tell from my blood sugar levels that so many other activities give at least as much of a workout - especially house cleaning! Today, I can gloat about this opinion: The latest news on this was in the New York Times. According to the article, it doesn't matter whether you jog every day if you sit the rest of the time; but standing up a lot is actually a really good workout. Granted, I sit much of the work day. But even there, I take the stairs and get up and down a lot to talk to people or go to the printer. And then I go home and get the special toddler workout.

Still, I need another form of exercise. Walking outside does a lot besides give my cardiovascular system a (light) workout: It helps me destress, gives my legs a stretch, and, if my husband and I get to walk together, gives us a chance to reconnect. These are all things I don't get from playing with my daughter (much as I love that time with her!). For anyone, but especially a diabetic, all of these aspects of exercise are important.

This reminds me of a study I heard of a while ago that compared people's blood lipids (the artery-hardening stuff) after a low-fat meal without exercise and after a really high-fat meal (8 strips of bacon!) followed by about a half hour of strenuous exercise. Guess what? The bacon-plus-exercise won out! That study really made me realize how important exercise is - and how much it can help make up for other willpower weaknesses!

Sometimes I wonder whether I'm getting enough really strenuous exercise to keep fit. But on the rare occasions when I go hiking in Acadia or cross-country skiing (which I took up years ago to get more daylight in winter, and which I love, but rarely get to do these days), I'm pleasantly surprised to find I can climb, sometimes at steep angles, at a good clip without getting winded.

The one hiccup in my routine now is that, when I pick up my daughter and get home, all she wants to do is watch Elmo. No amount of cajoling from me or hubby can get her out. We used to plunk her in the stroller and head out regularly; now we have to take turns walking so one of us is home with daughter H at a time. It makes the walk time shorter and less fun. I'm hoping we can get her back out there soon!

So that's my own real-world routine. What are your exercise strategies? If you have kids, how do you work around that - or work them in - to get your workout?