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Edward's story: finding new ways to move more
Edward
Diagnosed with type 2 in 2019
I've realised that even doing a couple of stretches a day can help you to feel fitter and a bit more supple, and that's made a huge difference to how I go about my daily life.
When lockdown put an end to face-to-face support groups and life as we know it, Edward signed up to our virtual 10-week Get Moving course. In his story, he shares how the weekly classes helped him discover new ways to get physically active and connect with others just like him.
I think I was first told about my risk of developing diabetes about 10 years ago, and in the past two years things got more serious when I was diagnosed with type 2.
I had been bouncing around between the prediabetes and type 2 mark for a while, so my community health service thought I would benefit from going on the X-Pert diabetes course. It was really good and informative, and prompted me to get involved with the local diabetes support group in my area too.
There were about nine of us in the group, and it was supported by our local diabetes nurses and Diabetes UK. We used to meet around once a month, and were in the process of looking at running it ourselves as the funding was ending, but then the pandemic hit and everything sort of stopped.
Then earlier this year in January, I got an email from my community health service about the 10-week Get Moving course and thought it was the perfect time to sign up.
Lockdown had made my wife and I make more of an effort to incorporate physical activity into our routine, and we started (like everyone else!) to get out on longer walks throughout the week. But by the time the new year came around, I was interested in trying something new. Plus the idea of exercising with a group, where you’re told what to do and can follow the instructor, really appealed to me.
I’ve tried following exercise routines in emails and on flyers, but it’s so much easier when you can ask questions and actually see what you’re supposed to be doing. And it’s also nice to get to know your group and chat to other people who are in similar situations to you.
Looking back, there wasn’t one class that stood out to me - I found it all interesting and really well put together! You’re exercising different parts of your body each week, and it was great to have the Q&A sessions at the end of the activity sessions too. You’re always thinking about diabetes and all the things you should be doing, but it’s nice to have a reminder.
The whole course has left me feeling motivated to move, and it’s helped me realise that there’s so much out there that counts as physical activity, and that there’s so much that I can actually do! I know I want to keep this up, so I think I’m going to look at joining the private Facebook group and start to build my own routine using the resources there. I've realised that even doing a couple of stretches a day can help you to feel fitter and a bit more supple, and that's made a huge difference to how I go about my daily life.
If you're looking for a way to introduce more movement into your life, check out our new collection of free resources and get active in a way that suits you and your lifestyle.
Call our helpline for one-to-one support. Our trained specialists will help you build your confidence and find new ways to get moving. Get in touch by calling 0345 123 2399 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, or emailing helpline@diabetes.org.uk.
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