If you or someone you love has Type 2 Diabetes, then you know how important maintaining a healthy lifestyle truly is. For the newly diagnosed, diabetes can be a word filled with uncertainty and anxiety. This disease that affects nearly 30 million Americans forces people to pay complete attention to their bodies, how they eat, and how they exert their energy. Although diabetes marks a change in the lives of millions, this change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. This could be the chance to finally take control of your health and get in the best shape in your life—and the good news is, you can do this all from the comfort of home.

Setting Up Your Home Gym

Some people may shirk away from the idea of making their own home gym simply because they expect it to be a huge investment and do not wish to take a big financial hit—but this is only a misconception. In truth, a home gym is only as expensive as the money you choose to invest in it, and the only thing you really need in your gym is space. For your home workouts, you will be doing a combination of aerobic activities, anaerobic exercises and strength-training moves. This will require floor space, but also enough headroom to be able to have a full range of mobility around your body. Therefore, you ideally want to dedicate an open room for your workout that has very little furniture that could get in the way.

Additionally, you will want a room with lots of natural light and very few distractions. If your room is filled with gadgets and gizmos not conducive to your workout, then chances are that they will end up being a distraction and take away from your valuable workout time. Natural light is a great way to naturally energize the body and mind, and it will keep your area well illuminated to avoid any kind of accidents.

Preparing Your Workout

Once you have a suitable space for exercising, all you need is the appropriate workout routine. The best option for you is dependent on your current level of fitness and your overall fitness goals. If you are looking to increase your strength, you might consider investing in some inexpensive dumbbells and/or kettlebells. If you are going for a lower-impact workout that does more to increase your flexibility and core strength, you might want to purchase a yoga mat or a BOSU balance trainer.

Executing A Plan

The key to any workout routine is maintaining a consistent frequency, intensity, and duration, so think about what time is best for you to commit to exercising every day. Remember that this needs to be a time that can work each day you plan on exercising, and will rarely conflict with any other plans you may have. Some people like to begin their day with a workout, since it helps them wake up and have an energetic rest of the day. Others might choose sometime in the early afternoon or after work to burn off the day’s stress. Whichever time slot you choose, be sure you have ample time to complete your fitness session so you don’t feel rushed or stressed while doing it.

The last thing you need to remember about establishing your workout plan is intensity. Exercise doesn’t have to be a punishment, and you shouldn’t have to push yourself to the extreme in order to get fit. In fact, as a diabetic, it can be dangerous to overexert yourself when working out. It’s important to understand that finding the right balance of effort can propel your workout and generate positive results to keep you healthy and happy.

Supplement Your Exercise With A Healthy-Eating Plan

Just as important as being active is establishing a healthy diet, and just like working out, it’s easy to cook nutritious meals at home. Be sure to fill your refrigerator and pantry with healthy staples, including:

• Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
• Whole grain bread, rice and cereal
• Lean protein like chicken breast, white fish and tofu
• Omega-3 rich foods like olive oil and salmon

In general, opt for non or minimally processed foods and avoid treats with added salt and sugar as much as possible.

Diabetes is an overwhelming diagnosis, but it doesn’t have to destroy your life. Working out at home is an excellent way to maintain your overall health and keep your Type 2 Diabetes under control.