What counts as activity
Every form of physical activity counts. The recommended minimum
amount of activity for:
• adults is 30 minutes on at least five days of the week (that’s only 2.5 hours out of a 168 hour week)
• children is one hour a day.
We are all recommended to achieve at least 10,000 steps a day – why not consider buying a pedometer to log how many steps you take?
Activity can be spread out through the day into bite-size chunks.
Before you start
Diabetes does not mean that you can’t become more active. However, it does mean that there are a few things to think about before you start… like your levels of blood glucose, monitoring your blood glucose levels, your diabetes treatment, and the possibility of having a hypo. Before you start any new
activity talk to your doctor, especially if you:
- are taking any medications for diabetes or heart disease
- have any complications of diabetes like foot or eye problems
- are not sure which activities suit you
- have any conditions that may restrict your mobility or ability to be active, eg high blood pressure, angina, osteoporosis, asthma or have had a heart attack. Your healthcare team can advise you about what activities are suitable for your condition.