You may be thinking, “You’re telling me that not only do I have to completely overhaul the way I eat, but now I have to get regular exercise too? Come on…”

Yes, that’s what we’re telling you. And it’s not uncommon to feel resistant to starting an exercise program — especially if you are significantly overweight. You may feel afraid or that you don’t have the energy to be physically active. And many people say they don’t have the time.

Here are some ideas for getting you off the couch and into your sneakers:
  1. Pencil it in. Get out your calendar to identify available time slots each week and create a schedule for walking, biking, or taking a class. Try creating this plan at the same time you chart out your meals for the week ahead.
  2. Call in reinforcements. Invite members of your family, friends, or coworkers to exercise with you. Cultivate friendships with active people, join an exercise class, or join a group that’s training for a walk for a good cause.
  3. Use a pedometer. Walking can have a significant impact on your fitness level and your diabetes control. It can be motivating to use a pedometer to keep track of your activity. Research at the Stanford University School of Medicine reports that walking with a pedometer helps people stay active — study participants who wore pedometers increased their overall physical activity by 27 percent!
  4. Make it affordable. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to join a gym or buy a treadmill. Try activities such as mall walking, taking the stairs, or borrowing an exercise video from the public library to follow at home. Many community centers have inexpensive or free exercise programs as well.
Learn more healthy habits in Step 5.