Hey Guys,
Just wanted to share an article on different types of cardio. I really don't like long runs much, and I've been doing a lot of...sled dragging since I got into powerlifting. Dragging that sled 6 times for 35 seconds each time is gonna build up your endurance and work capacity in a whole different way than a 5 mile run!
Check this out for some new ideas:
Andrew's Article on Effective Alternative Cardio Methods
Ginger
Hi Ginger,
I recently signed up here, and I'm excited to see the website and learn more about diabetes 1, which is not so known.
I liked the article a lot. Actually, I love cardio excercises and dancing, but recently I started to practice Tae Bo, which is a combination of cardio routines with kick boxing and martial arts, and it's awesome. But some people tell me I probably shouldn't be doing it because it's very demanding physically, and my sugar can go down. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't...
Any ideas?
Thanks!!
Isa.
Someone told you NOT to do really great exercise just because you have to balance your blood sugar at the same time? Well that's true for any exercise, not just tae bo, and it doesn't mean we should avoid that activity and allow diabetes to run our life, it means we should figure out how to keep our sugar up DURING the activity so we can enjoy it!!!
I'm a competitive powerlifter and you can bet that training is hard work, but I studied my diabetes so I could maintain healthy blood sugars during it and I placed 7 world records in the World Powerlifting Association this past may. Hard work is great! (http://gingervieira.blogspot.com)
Check out some links on exercise and blood sugar here:
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/17516/diabetes-sports
and
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/27511/49892/hypoglycemia
We should find the exercise we love and learn how to balance our diabetes around it. Regular exercise will help anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 maintain better sugars, decrease our insulin needs and of course, increase our sensitivity to insulin. All good things!
Not to mention, diabetes or not, exericse keeps you healthy in a hundred other ways!
Ginger
www.diabeteens.com
Ginger, will you come down to Baltimore and train me with the sled? :P
I'm always trying to find new types of cardio that don't get boring. I got tired of jogging outside so then it was the elliptical. I can kind of deal with that because I can watch TV and that really helps pass the time. As much fun as dragging a sled seems, I doubt I can find a place to drag a sled in Charlotte, NC. I need to get more into some sports again.
[quote user="Matt Johnson"]
I'm always trying to find new types of cardio that don't get boring. I got tired of jogging outside so then it was the elliptical. I can kind of deal with that because I can watch TV and that really helps pass the time. As much fun as dragging a sled seems, I doubt I can find a place to drag a sled in Charlotte, NC. I need to get more into some sports again.
[/quote]
Get in touch with the Charlotte Rugby Club. They're a good team and have ample field space were you ever so inclined to go sled pulling.
I stopped doing eliptical running just because it didn't give me enough of the "running" sensation. Sure it burns more calories and is easier on the knees, but I've found the most appealing running I can do now is interval running/sprinting. It works wonders...and apparently if you weigh 220 like I do, it breaks treadmills :)
I use Turbo Jam, it is a fun way to exercise. Along with treadmill, punching bag, Wii and balance ball.
hahaha, sure, Pat, I'll be right over.
:) Ginger
p.s. New blog from Anna on balancing insulin & training:
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/75030/importance
Matt - All you need is a parkinglot and a sled! You can ask a weilder at an auto bodyshop if they'd be interested in making you one. Do you have any friends who know how to weld? Then you just need a few 45 pound plates and you're good to go :)
Ginger
Pat LOL you cracked me up!
I think I would get arrested in Charlotte if someone saw me dragging a piece of 45lb metal over a parking lot. They would probably think I was mental or something. haha I like to run sprints though. Maybe I could just pack a backpack and run sprints.
[quote user="Matt Johnson"]
I think I would get arrested in Charlotte if someone saw me dragging a piece of 45lb metal over a parking lot. They would probably think I was mental or something. haha I like to run sprints though. Maybe I could just pack a backpack and run sprints.
[/quote]
http://www.shapeupshop.com/fitness/running/power_chute.htm
^ Matt, give that a look. They probably won't arrest you, but if they try to, definitely take it off before you try to run from them :)
I've considered getting one of those, but wonder if it will actually work...Ginger, if you're still reading this, what's your opinion on "power chutes?"
And glad I can make you laugh there, Gina. :D Next time I break a treadmill I'll take a picture of the aftermath for you
A personal parachute... now why didn't I think of that? It's definitely a neat looking idea. Hmmm... I wonder if you have to have that serious look that the guy in the picture has for it to be effective. If you're not that FOCUSED, it may not work. haha
hey Pat -
The power chutes are great! But totally different than sled sprints. The chute is all about speed, sprinting, etc. The sled sprints are much more about brute power because you'll have at least your bodyweight dragging behind you.
It's just a totally different feeling and training method...but great! You need a nice long sprinting area for the chute. Less so with a sled.
Ginger
[quote user="Ginger Vieira"]
hey Pat -
The power chutes are great! But totally different than sled sprints. The chute is all about speed, sprinting, etc. The sled sprints are much more about brute power because you'll have at least your bodyweight dragging behind you.
It's just a totally different feeling and training method...but great! You need a nice long sprinting area for the chute. Less so with a sled.
Ginger
[/quote]
Couldn't I use both? :P
I really want to improve my speed. I already know I run with power because I have tree trunks for legs and once I get up to top speed it's hard to stop me haha. The only thing is, like Matt, I live in an area that is not optimal for dragging a sled haha. I guess I could put it in the back of my car with some weights but then my car prob wouldn't move (I drive a MINI).
And Matt,
You prob don't have to look serious to use it (obviously), but depending on what your goals are you could do either of them. I suggested the chute because you that you didn't want to drag a sled through a parking lot and who can blame you? To go back to Ginger's point(s): If your goal is to be quick and nimble (I go crazy when I hear a cymbal) then the chute might be a good investment, whereas if your goal is to run like an NFL fullback, the sled will be your friend.
Thanks for allowing me to reference "Ice Ice Baby"
Pat
Roller derby is the best cardio I have ever found. Only problem is multiple fractures. That part was lousy. Basketball at the local hoop. Also, go to the local animal shelter. Or just drive around local roads in the South. There you will locate a sweet dog who is probably at least a quarter Pitt. Allow him or her to walk you at least twice a day. Or better yet, let her loose and run after her while she plays keep away from the silly human. Especially when there is a ferile cat colony in the nearby woods. That will increase your cardio rate at an exponential rate.
I have always wanted to train for a marathon. It's extremely tricky with the exercise because the minute I don't do it, I end up getting pretty ill from the onslaught of high blood sugars. My body gets accustomed to exercise and seems to feel that I do not need to have a day off from it, ever. Bleagch.
Roller derby should only happen after substantial training. I broke two bones in my left leg, tore my rotator cuff, and shredded my bicipetal tendons (sp?) in one night.Train first...
Sincerely,
Frankenankle (derby name...used to be Tickle me Hell No)
I am a runner lol but I think my feet hate me for that
[quote user="Alyssa"]
I am a runner lol but I think my feet hate me for that
[/quote]
Get some Dr. Scholls and start gellin. Your feet will hate you less. Running is pretty cool...definitely helps me keep my girlish figure and wasp-like waistline :P
That was a really good article. The sled thing looked hard, but interesting and less boring than my treadmill routine right now.
Has anybody else done plyometrics before? I took a speed and agility course a few years ago where we did ladder and box work. It was hard, mostly because we did everything almost non-stop, but it was really rewarding with keeping my numbers down and getting me in shape. It the ladder also helped me become more coordinated with my feet (it looks like a rope ladder laid down on the ground that you run over doing different kinds of steps and bringing your knees to different heights). I did have to be prepared for that though (push my blood sugar up to about 200-250 before hand) because I would drop like a stone as soon as I started.