Design Your Own Fast Workout

Updated March 26, 2015.

Regular exercise is an essential part of diabetes management, and a fast workout can help you stay on track with your activity goals. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes every week to keep you healthy. To fit that much exercise into your busy life, try a daily 20-minute workout.

It's not necessary to join a gym or have a personal trainer. You can design your own fast workout that you'll know you'll enjoy.

Remember, just 20 minutes a day!

First, make time to exercise

Set your alarm 20 minutes earlier. Roll out of bed and get your workout out of the way.
Take 20 minutes of your lunch break to walk and stretch. If possible, walk outside and get some fresh air and a change of scenery at the same time.
Use television to your advantage. Dance, walk around the house, or hit the stairs during commercials.

Choose the activities you enjoy

Love yoga? Buy a deck of yoga cards and put together your own personal 20-minute stretch.
Put on music with a great beat and dance. If you have children, they'll love to dance with you. It's a great way to ensure that the whole family is getting exercise.
Have a gym class flashback. Doing jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and running in place will have you feeling like you're back in junior high.
Channel your inner twelve year old. Jump rope, hula hoop, dribble a ball, play tag or hide-and seek. Even if you don't have kids, a spouse or significant other would probably love to join in.

It really doesn't matter what you do or how you do it. Putting in 20 minutes a day to move will give you the benefits you need and maybe even put a little fun back into your life.

More resources from About.com to help get you started...

_{Source: (2008, Dec. 17). Physical Activity for Everyone. Retrieved March 10, 2009, from Center for Disease Control (CDC) Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html}