Getting Active

It's no secret that getting exercise increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells, which means you need less insulin to manage your blood sugar levels. That is one of the reasons why our Center for Disease Prevention and Control has developed an entire module focused on “Getting Active to Prevent T2.”

This module is recommended to be shared during the second gathering, and over the last couple of years I have noted this module really helps to set the foundation. During our gathering on “Getting Active to Prevent T2” we touch on the benefits of getting active and the ways to get active.?

In the beginning many of the participants are not excited about sharing their currency weight or providing their activity minutes, however the topics shared in this evidence-based program really help to create an environment where participants begin to freely share their activity minutes and current weight with ease.?

Shortly after checking in about our introductory session, we dive into the importance of knowing what calories are and how to contribute to our energy levels, and where they come from. As a facilitator I do my best to make sure talking about calories is fun and try to incorporate a bit of humor along with this topic.?

Once we have spent at least three to five minutes talking about calories, we then move onto the benefits of getting active. At this time I like to ask participants to share how they feel after they have been active, oftentimes one of the first things they bring up is sleeping better. This part of our time together usually lasts about ten minutes and segways into ways to get active.?

After each participant shares a little about how they get active at this point I take a moment to check the list provided by the CDC to ensure all things listed are mentioned. Usually, the participants will touch on just about everything on the list provided by the CDC however, if they did not I will then insert the remaining.?

During the conclusion of each season, each participant is encouraged to make an action plan for the week leading up to our next gathering. Each participant is encouraged to share a goal that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound). From there we conclude, and I hang around to answer any lingering questions.?