At-home Exercise Tips

For many people with diabetes, exercise means heading out to a health club or walking around the neighborhood.¹ If you are not a fan of going to the gym or participating in formal exercise classes, don't worry! Indoor exercise at home can be just as effective for controlling diabetes.¹

There are a number of simple and fun exercises that you can do right from your own home—no fancy gym equipment needed! The most important thing is finding a way to stay motivated and active every day.

Below are five at-home exercise tips that anyone can do!²

• 1. Go outside and play a game of tag with your children.
• By running around outside, you'll get your heart rate pumping and start to burn calories without even realizing it. Also, by making exercise a family activity, it turns it into a fun time you can share with your kids and teaches them to be active in their own lives.
• 2. Start up a new active hobby.
• It may be hard to believe, but gardening is exercise. By bending, stretching, digging, and weeding you'll get more than a good workout. Believe it or not, a half an hour of energetic work in your garden burns more calories than even a brisk walk.
• 3. Get a trampoline.
• Mini-trampolines are easy to set up and store in small spaces in your home. They provide a stress-free surface on which to bounce, dance, and have a lot of fun—not to mention stay active!
• 4. Purchase an at-home exercise DVD or a dance video.
• These are usually pretty inexpensive and allow you to learn exercise moves in the privacy of your own home.
• 5. Clean the house!
• Not only will you end up with a nice clean house by the time you're done, but you'll most likely break a sweat as well. Picking up toys, sweeping, and scrubbing are all ways to keep yourself moving and active.

Fearlessly Fit at Home

The comfort of your own home offers many opportunities for you to get and stay fit. Whether you fit in exercise through common activities or engage in specific exercises to increase your cardiovascular endurance or tone target muscles—it can all be done at home!

At-home Checklist

• If you are just beginning an exercise routine, consult your physician
• Start off at an easy pace
• Increase your effort over time—do not over exert yourself!

At-home Activities

• Mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming gets you up and moving, working several muscle groups
• Folding laundry while watching television or sitting keeps you in motion
• Climbing the stairs repetitively increases heart rate and builds leg muscles
• Washing the car, gardening/yard work, and rearranging furniture beautifies your surroundings and keeps you motivated
• Cooking a "real" meal—chopping vegetables, cutting meats, mixing, stirring, and kneading keep you active in the kitchen

At-home Aerobics

• Dancing or running in place during television commercials is fun and promotes good cardiovascular health
• Jumping rope, playing chase, and doing jumping jacks with the children gets you moving and keeps you young at heart
• Walking your dog a block longer and a little faster each day increases endurance
• Tuning into a free television/cable aerobics fitness program will also get you moving

At-home Toning

• Toning your tummy can be done through sit-ups/crunches and waist twists
• Exercising your legs is easily accomplished at home by doing front leg raises, side leg raises, squats, lunges, and calf raises
• Improving your upper body strength can begin with common exercises like bicep and tricep curls (using free weights or cans of vegetables). For an added challenge, try to incorporate resistance bands
• Working out to a free television/cable body toning program may provide additional instruction and more advanced exercises for targeted muscle groups