Kristina Sandstedt Articles

Article Title	Brief Description
Exercise Prescription for Diabetes	Despite all the information that has been discussed time and time again regarding the benefits of regular exercise and it’s role in blood glucose management, there are millions of people with diabetes who don’t exercise. Their excuses include having no time, no energy, lack of motivation, and on and on. In a past article I discussed the decisional balance, which is when a patient makes a decision based on the evaluation of his/her current behavior patterns. Specific to exercise, the patient may recognize that current exercise behaviors are not helping him/her to avoid certain medical/health consequences. Perhaps the following information will help weigh a client’s decisional balance in favor of participation in regular exercise.
The Role of Exercise in the Treatment of Arthritis	Arthritis is one of the most common diseases in the United States, affecting over 43 million Americans, or one out of every six people (Helmick, et al., 1995). Arthritis encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions affecting joints, the surrounding tissues and other connective tissues. Symptoms include pain, aching, stiffness, and/or swelling in and around a joint. Moreover, arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2000). As a result, many individuals inflicted with arthritis confront many changes and limitations in the recreational aspects of their lives.
Motivation: The Key to a Healthier Lifestyle	As health care professionals we often struggle with the issue of patient compliance. Whether we are trying to instill the concept of carbohydrate choices or achieving regular exercise, it is often difficult for us to motivate our patients to practice what we may be preaching. Perhaps one of the most meaningful concepts that we try to present to our patients is the importance of regular exercise.
Exercise Consultation: An Empirically Validated Approach	In my last article, I talked about motivation and its role in exercise and diet compliance. Recently, I attended the National American College of Sports Medicine conference in St. Louis and I thought I would share some of the highlights of the conference with our readers. Although this organization does a great job of presenting information on a wide variety of topics, I chose to spend my time attending many of the diabetes and exercise presentations. Many of these presentations focused on prevention and management of diabetes.
Weight Training and Diabetes	The word is out! For people with diabetes, physical activity is a must or as we say in our program, "It’s non-negotiable." Whether one chooses to increase daily steps in a walking program, bicycling, water aerobics or dancing the benefits are inevitable. Blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol are all better controlled and of course weight loss in the form of fat loss occurs. Let us not forget, however the importance of weight/resistance training and its role in achieving improved physical activity.