Diabetic Dynamos

Diabetic Dynamos

DIALOGS ABOUT
DIABETIC DYNAMOS

by Debra Frank, MS, MS

Water Works Wonders

Everyone can do it! Regardless of swimming skill, age,

weight, height, or disability, exercise in the water allows

the body a quality workout, stimulating visceral,

cardiopulmonary, neurological and muscular responses, with

less stress than comparable land or weight-bearing

activities. Water's gentle massage, combined with a

structured and scheduled workout program, can assist you in

regulating your blood sugars, and, as with any form of

exercise, can increase your sensitivity to insulin. A

workout in the water is fun, too.

Since water diminishes the effects of gravity, it

lessens joint stress, and increases general joint

flexibility. In the water, buoyancy increases resistance,

so the arm and leg muscles work when you push down as well

as when you push up. Since buoyancy enhances range of

motion, many folks can do exercises in the pool that they

could not do on land. And water's buoyancy cushions the

body, decreasing the chances of injuries common in land

exercise.

You burn more calories, working out in the water, than

you do with the same exercises on dry land. It is important

to test your blood sugar more frequently, and of course

there is the possibility of hypoglycemia (as with any

exercise program), but in the water its onset may be less

acute. People who are otherwise advised not to participate

in "land-based" exercise programs are often steered toward

water fitness, by their medical team.

It is imperative that you inform your personal medical

team of your participation in any exercise program, so they

can discuss your individual adjustments in medication and

food. It is your responsibility to inform the instructor of

your diabetes, and to make him/her familiar with any special

needs you may have. Of course all discussion will take

place in confidence, and will allow you to develop a

long-term successful fitness program.

Water based exercise programs have been around for

centuries, and are the primary phase one rehabilitation

programs in Europe, but Americans still have trouble finding

facilities and instructors for "Aqua/Water Exercise." Most

YMCA's have qualified programs, as do many of the larger

health club facilities. Many public recreation programs

offer similar, but may not be led by a certified instructor.

Ask! The Aquatic Exercise Association and the American

College of Sports Medicine have training and certification

programs throughout the country, and their graduates are

getting into every pool and puddle available.

Exercise of any form increases self-image, body-image,

and self-esteem. Choosing a program that allows you to

participate, no matter what level you start at or what

barriers you face, is a sound idea.

And don't make too much of those "barriers." In my

classes I use the "buddy system." We assist each other.

This allows the visually impaired, the motor impaired, and

those with cardiac conditions to keep up with the group, but

work at their own pace, setting their own goals. Nobody is

left out. I know that even if somehow there is a cure for

diabetes, or a magic formula for fitness, I will continue

doing my water exercises. Thirty years from now I will be

laughing and counting in the pool, with a tight body and a

serious gray bun on top of my head. It truly makes me feel

good about me.

In March of 1996 I had the pleasure of talking to a

diabetic support group at South Nassau Hospital in

Oceanside, New York. Following that presentation, one of

the women asked me about my Water Exercise Classes at

Hofstra University. Because of her chronic neuropathy, she

was afraid to exercise, or even to walk. Since she could

not swim, she had not previously embraced the idea of water

exercise. With a little positive reinforcement, she decided

to register for the 12-week summer season. When she came to

the first class she was so surprised to see me and many of

my students with makeup on, lipstick and all, hair pinned

neatly on our heads. By the end of the first class she was

beaming. Her body was moving better than it had in years,

and her feet, protected by water socks, were feeling no

pain. Since that first class she has been joined by another

woman from her support group, and by her husband. She and I

test our blood sugars after class, and if necessary, we sip

an orange juice or hand one another a glucose tab.

Writer's note: It just occurred to me
how much passive (as well as active) exercise and therapy I get from the water.
As I sit down to finish this article I just came out of my weekly "bath
and shave" ritual. Once a week, over and above my daily showering and pampering,
I do my best to take a bath. Usually it will be in the evening, before the beginning
of a hectic week, or like tonight, when I need to chill out and relax before
tying up loose ends and finishing deadlines. Warm water works wonders in my
tense body. It is so rejuvenating and relaxing, and there I have time to massage
my feet and do the other hygienic things we often rush when we shower. My mom
was the one who started it all--over two decades ago, before exercise of any
form was part of the diabetic medical protocol, my mom put me on the swim team.
When I got out of control, whether from being a typical adolescent or from being
off the diabetic Richter scale, she would put me in the bath for a while to
"chill out." Of course an hour later I had to scrub the entire bathroom,
tile by tile, but the lesson was learned and the wonders of water were etched
into my lifestyle.