Just squeaking in

I've never participated in a DSMA Blog Carnival, but this month's topic is one I've been meaning to blog about for awhile now anyway. Perfect, even though I'm barely making the March deadline.

Exercise!

Over the last two months, Nick and I have recommitted ourselves to living a healthier lifestyle. We've gone through phases, me more than him since he has consistently played volleyball for the last six years. I'll do well for a month at a time and then fall off the wagon. I've never loved exercising. Sometimes I have liked the way it made me feel afterward, but it's never been enough to keep me at it.

This time is different. We joined a community center which we both love. There is tons of equipment, a competition pool, and dozens of classes to choose from. It's less than ten minutes from our house, and it does good things for a part of Philadelphia that needs more good things. I'm so glad we joined.

Even in the midst of a busy semester, we've managed to go very regularly. A normal week sees us going 4-5 times. Of course, when I'm out of town for five days that doesn't happen, but so far I've had no trouble getting right back into my routine.

I haven't really lost any weight, but I have seen seriously improved numbers on my meter. My spikes after meals are much less dramatic than they used to be. I think I'm using about the same amount of insulin, which is ok by me. I look forward to my next A1C reading (soon!) to see how things have changed in that arena.

I'm still working on the exact temporary basal rates I need for each workout and how to plan my dinners and boluses before exercise. I've gotten better during my yoga class (no more lows) but I'm still tweaking things for swimming and running. Last night saw a 53 as I was nearing the end of my treadmill time, a number I didn't see coming at all. Fortunately, I feel my lows fairly well and I caught this well before my CGM would have alerted me.

Even though it's not always easy to make myself go exercise, it is most of the time and I really love it. It is fantastic stress relief and I do feel less guilty for some of the things I eat that do a wicked number on my numbers. I need to keep up with this until I leave for Rome in late summer. Once I'm there, I won't need a gym! My feet will provide all of the exercise I need!