Diabetes UK, in partnership with Sport England, has launched an initiative to encourage and support people living with diabetes across the Midlands get more active.
Moving more when you have diabetes is an important way of managing your condition and making a few small changes in your daily life can give your health a real boost. Some of the many benefits of physical activity include helping the body use insulin better, helping to look after your blood pressure as high blood pressure increases your risk of diabetes complications, and helping you lose weight if you need to.
Despite this, we know many people can find it difficult to start moving more, worrying that it can be too tiring or cause hypos. That’s why we have partnered with Sport England to help build confidence and provide support.
Peter Shorrick, Midlands and East Regional Head at Diabetes UK, said:
“With more than 670,000 people living with a diabetes diagnosis in the Midlands it’s crucial they find a way to include activity to help live a healthier life.
“I really hope people take up this opportunity to learn more about the benefits of moving more and start making small changes to how much activity they do.
“Many of us have felt anxious, worried and unable to keep active during the coronavirus pandemic, it really has never been more important to introduce activity for both a healthy body and a healthy mind.”
Taking those first steps to a healthier life can be tough, but we at Diabetes UK understand that and have introduced support to make the journey easier.
We now have a dedicated physical activity helpline advisor, who can offer practical and supportive advice about starting to move more in your day-to-day life. This support can be available over a few weeks or months, depending on your confidence levels and ability to move. To find out more, or to just have a chat, email helpline@diabetes.org.uk or call 0345 123 2399.
We have also created a free PDF guide to help people with diabetes start moving more. It provides key information about why it’s important to get active and shows you how to include different types of exercise into your daily life. There’s space to track your progress over a 10-week journey and it's available to download now from our online shop.
We’d love to hear from people living with diabetes who have managed to keep moving during lockdown, whether they’ve been walking the dog, stretching in front of the TV, carrying the shopping home or hula hooping in the garden. Share your story, or send us your photos and video clips, by emailing livewellmovemore@diabetes.org.uk
