Summer Goals – Set Some Yourself

Summer Goals

We are two-thirds of the way through the year already, Summer is in full swing and hopefully, if you made some Summer goals, they are going well for you. Even if you haven’t why not make some now, and work towards them.

My Spring goal was to get back into exercise and work out how to fit it around my life and diabetes. This went really well for me, and I soon found my new passion for running. So much so, in fact, I have signed up to do a half marathon in October for ➡ Diabetes UK. If you would like to sponsor me that would be amazing.

My Summer goal is to get race ready for the ➡ Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.

Summer The Season To Get Active

With or without diabetes we should all try to get some exercise in our lives. We all know it is for the best, but all too often life gets in the way. I knew that this was just another excuse, if you want to do something, you will find or make the time. I have been spurred on by the fact my wife also decided to start exercising this year too, so we have made it a 2 night a week event, something we can both do together, which is nice.

Summer is the ideal time to make a change, have a look on Twitter for the #mysummergoal

First Things First

Before anybody starts doing a new exercise regime it is always worth speaking with a healthcare professional before you start, the last thing you want is to be mid workout and drop down dead!! Combining a long-term health condition, such as diabetes, then you should definatly discuss your plans with your GP.

Below are some of the things I did before even stepping foot in the gym or donning my running shoes

• Go to the GP and discuss your plans for exercise. Always worth making sure there are no underlying health issues that could make exercise dangerous.
• If you have a partner, try to get them to support you in your exercise plans, better still if they join you in them. I find that this motivates the both of you to make exercise a long-term part of your life, not just a five-minute fad
• Go to a couple of local gyms and pick one which suits your needs. We have joined a gym which is 5 minutes from our house, taking away the excuse of travelling to the gym. More importantly, it has all the facilities we were looking for in a gym.
  

  

• Spend some time getting together a good set of gym gear, have a look here at what’s in my gym bag ➡ Gym Kit Essentials
• Invest in a decent pair of running trainers. This is one of the most important things for people with diabetes. Poorly fitted trainers causing blisters can be a disaster for us.
• Set realistic goals – If you aim from day 1 to be an Olympic champion then you will soon lose motivation. Small achievable goals keep you focused and motivated
• Have a plan – There is no good to be gained from going to the gym, lifting 100KG twice, hurting your back, then trying to run like Usain Bolt for 15 seconds before collapsing in a heap. Spend some time researching exercise plans that will help you reach your goals.
• Pick something which you enjoy. Walking, hiking, bike riding, running, football, hockey or tennis, it really doesn’t matter. The point is if you enjoy it you are more likely to stick with it.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few pointers which hopefully may help if you are thinking of starting some exercises yourself. If you are thinking of getting into running, be sure to have a look for your local ➡ Parkrun.

These free timed runs are great fun and an excellent introduction into running.

For now

Take Care, and move from that chair

Type1Bri