Exercise...the right way

Hi. I have many job titles that I work under each day, but that of being a certified diabetes educator is probably my favorite and certainly my most rewarding. Through this blog, I intend to bring real life stories that I encounter each day through the people I meet in our communities. My hope is that some things may help others for one reason or another to do better with their health, particularly if they have diabetes.
I work with senior residents who live in independent living facilities. Working with them could include things like providing home health, helping with insurance questions, getting them different services they could use, answering health questions and teaching what I can about different disease processes.
Sometimes as an educator, I teach. Sometimes as an educator, I show. Sometimes as an educator, I do. At one facilitiy, I have talked incessantly about the need to eat healthier and the need to move more. However, I noted that many of my residents were not doing much about either. As far as the eating healthier, sometimes it is a matter of income for them. I understand that. So, I decided that I would try to get them more motivated to move more...and I started a walking club. We walk two times a week from 8am until 9am. Each person who walks does so at his or her own pace. So people are strung out around the property walking briskly, or slowly, or with a walker. Some people will go only a short distance and others will walk 16 laps around the property.
One gentleman whom I will call "Bob", who has diabetes, was walking with us. Turns out that another gentleman who walks daily was chiding "Bob" to walk faster and keep up with him. I suggested to both men that it was not safe to do so. Each should walk at a moderate, comfortable pace. So, the one slowed down but continued to walk several laps. I asked "Bob" if he had checked his blood glucose before he began walking. He responded, "No, I am going to check it at the clinic when I get done walking." I told him that was not the safe way to walk. He needed, as anyone who has diabetes does, to know what his sugar was before exercising. "Bob" continued on in front of me.
Later at the clinic, "Bob" stopped in to have his sugar checked. My medical assistant called me over to see the blood glucose reading. 53! I sat "Bob" down and gave him a 1/2 cup of coca cola. I then had him sit there for 15 minutes so the coke would have time to digest. After 15 minutes, we checked his sugar again and it had come up to 116!. I then took the time to explain to all the folks in the clinic and the walkers how important it is to know what your sugar is before you attempt exercise. Since exercise is known for bringing blood glucose levels down, we don't want to start exercising with a low sugar and end up in hypoglycemia. "Bob" now sees quite clearly the importance of knowing what his sugar level is. And all of the walkers were also reminded that they should have hard candy or glucose tablets in their pockets when exercising just in case their sugar levels drops while they are out. I continue to talk with them, but I believe this concrete example taught them first hand the value of the lesson.