Just do it. Later.

“Just do it.”

- Nike Advertisement

“Just do it. Later”

- Humourous Meesho T-shirt

Airports can be depressing. Especially for modern day business travelers. Food-is-a-plenty. And chairs are too. If you get a packet of fries and find a comfortable set of chairs to sack out in front of the Airport TV then you are now officially a couch potato. After landing at the destination, the days and nights of business meetings are no different. Listening to power-point presentations is often followed by enjoying sumptuous dinners to escape from the drudgery of it all. Where is the time to exercise?

At a recent sojourn to the airport, I saw a man at the restaurant eating guiltlessly, and sporting a T-shirt which said, “Just Do It. Later.” This is an obvious riposte to the shoe-maker Nike's iconic call for exercise. I don't blame the eater. Indeed, I am no icon of perfection myself. I was there too, eating (albeit something healthier), and I will do my best to improve!

This set me thinking. What about people who cannot afford a gym membership? What about the Mumbai local traveler who “lives” in his daily commute? What about the clerk at an office or your friendly neighborhood auto-rickshaw driver? How difficult it must be for them to find time for exercise between their work and family time! Finding time for physical activity and exercise is often easier for the privileged. But there must be a way out, to democratize exercise for all.

One such way is the concept of an “exercise snack”. An exercise snack is a short, intense activity, even as short as a minute. This can fit into everyone's daily schedule. Rushing up the stairs, lifting and then putting down a suitcase, sitting-and-standing workout, a short Yoga-asana and so on. Studies have shown that when done regularly, 1 to 5-minute intense workouts interspersed thoughout the day, can help people burn 200 kcal or more! Not just that, these bursts of exercise can help control blood glucose and even prolong lifespan. We cover this topic of day-to-day relevance in the present issue of Diabetes Health.

However, whether exercising for 30 minutes continuously, or breaking it down to ten episodes of 3 minutes each - motivation is a must. Hence Nike's slogan of “Just do it” is still relevant. You may do your exercise later, but don't make it too late! If needed, you may use an alarm/timer, remind yourself periodically, and somehow, find those niches during the day (or night) where you can squeeze in an exercise snack or two in your daily schedule. Don't worry if it looks odd or if people are watching. It is your life after all, and not theirs.

In addition to the exercise snack, we also cover newer aspects of diet, physical activity, monitoring, and medications- all are critical aspects of Diabetes care. Happy reading!

Dr. Unnikrishnan AG

Editor