Managing diabetes for a happy, healthy, holiday
As Christmas Celebrations begin, many of us start to worry about how to stay healthy whilst still enjoying the festive period. One way we do this is by being physically active. If you have Type 2 Diabetes, keeping your activity up can help manage your blood sugar, which can be particularly important during the festive period where we often indulge a bit more than usual. Whatever your plan for the festive period, if you or your loved one has diabetes, or simply want to maintain your health, it is important to take action to manage your condition well while still enjoying all that Christmas has to offer.
Christmas is a fun time of the year: everyone deserves to enjoy a good break, but it is also important to stay physically active, in whatever way works for you. Everyday physical activity allows us to find movement in everyday tasks, whether it’s walks with family, Christmas shopping, preparing food or doing some household chores. Remember, every move matters!
Recent research has found that increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increases the tendency for skeletal muscle to produce crucial chemical signals to battle insulin resistance. This means for those with Type 2 Diabetes, physical activity is essential for breaking down sugar more easily. The lead researcher for this project stated that “these exercise-induced chemical signals drive adaptive responses that are integral to the health promoting effects of exercise”. This clearly shows the important link between physical activity and effective management of one’s health, particularly for those living with diabetes.
But, if you don’t feel this is for you, don’t worry. Walking is just one way we can move our bodies. There are many other kinds of physical activity that are equally as important for our health and wellbeing, so everyone can make the most of their movement in a way that suits them and their busy schedule.
A physically active lifestyle will look different for everybody and can be done in many ways that won’t even make it feel like a chore, such as a Christmas day stroll with your family, encouraging everyone to play an active game or even having a dance to any of the top Christmas Hits! These small things can maintain your activity levels and have significant health benefits. ristmas crackers or generally moving more around the house – every movement matters and it can all count!
At KiActiv®, we support you to discover what shapes your life and help you to understand how to make the most of every move you make through the day. Accurate body data provides the insights for you to make the best decisions and deliver the most effective outcomes for you and your health. A study published by Dr. Rhéaume and colleagues, demonstrates the importance of using activity trackers to monitor activity, stating: “Our most important finding was that the activity tracker could be a potential motivational tool to increase physical activity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes”. The research noted that 75% of participants reported that activity trackers motivated them to stick to the physical activity program after the intervention was over. And we know that data from activity trackers loses its value if it doesn’t have any context and that’s why we’ve developed KiActiv®
With an activity tracker alone, people can be unsure about how to use the data they’ve collected. Our unique KiActiv® method provides analysis in the context of health. This makes the wearable data valuable and creates individual understanding that empowers authentic choice, which promotes effective behaviour change. So, the activity monitor is just the start. Just think of the benefits you could achieve by understanding the data collected by your activity tracker and how you use it to manage your health and wellbeing in your way!
At KiActiv®, our goal is to help you better understand your physical activity habits by continuously self-monitoring your movements and finding what works best for you. This can allow you to implement positive behavioural changes that can be sustained over the long-term, and importantly, throughout the holiday period where we often fall out of our normal routines.
