Exercise your right ...
to live free from diabetes
BY JODI HAWkINS
I
magine eating anything you want and suddenly starting to lose weight while doing so. Sound like a dream come true? Sadly, this scenario can turn out to be more of a nightmare for many because it’s often a precursor to diabetes. But there is a way to effectively prevent or manage diabetes without giving up much more than a bit of your own well deserved time. Exercise, while often dreaded, has proven itself as a leader among health improvement practices. Those fighting diabetes are sure to find that their illness is no match for the wonders of regular workouts. Bob Dickerson of Marion found himself in a similar situation 31 years ago. He was 21 years old, newly married and about to finish college when his already ideal weight began to inexplicably drop. Then after battling a bad case of the flu, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. As someone who enjoyed sports, he made a conscious effort to keep his weight down since he was a high school freshman. With a very minimal family history of the disease, he was completely unaware of what to expect. “To me it was like a death sentence because I didn’t know that you could live with it,” Dickerson said. Fortunately, Dickerson has managed his diabetes quite well over the years, but he attributes part of his success to the somewhat harsh way his former doctor educated him about the illness. “He basically said, ‘People your age tend to think they’re indestructible. If you don’t listen to me, then you’re not going to die right off, but you’ll just start losing stuff, like your eyesight or limbs. You’re going to age inside faster if you don’t take care of yourself. But if you listen to me and do what I say, in 30 years people won’t know you’re diabetic unless you tell them.’” Dickerson recalled. His doctor also advised him to stay active, saying that exercise makes just everything work better. Today, Dickerson continues to take that advice by faithfully following a running and weight lifting regimen.
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The Southern HEALTH Magazine
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Nov. 18, 2009
Make it fun For more ways to make fitness fun — including martial arts, aquatics, etc.— visit www.reccenter.siu.edu or contact check out continuing education courses and fitness centers at these community colleges: • John A. Logan College www.jalc.edu. cc.il.us/ • Rend Lake College www.rlc.edu • Southeastern Illinois College www.sic. cc.il.us/ • Shawnee College www.shawneecc.edu/
JODI HAWkINS / FOR THE SOUTHERN Carbondale Gold’s Gym manager Mike Baltz shows diabetic Vickie klubek of Murphysboro how to monitor her progress on the treadmill.