You Don’t Have to ‘Earn’ Your Movement
Episode 61, You Don’t Have to ‘Earn’ Your Movement What if exercise wasn’t punishment for what you ate… but an act of partnership with your body? Today, We’re Covering: Why fitness culture often fails people with T1D How to shift from...
The episode, word for word
It's summer. Cookouts. Fireworks. People talking about "earning" their dessert like it's a moral scoreboard.
And if you've ever felt the pressure to move your body because you should?
Not because you wanted to?
This one's for you.
Happy belated Fourth of July! Hope your weekend had plenty of fireworks and freedom, especially freedom from feeling like you must 'earn' your workout. Let's talk about why movement should feel like a celebration, not a chore.
Hey, I'm Neil, this is Your Best T1D Year. I was diagnosed during Air Force flight school, it's part of how I think about freedom and trust. This episode? It's all about shifting from 'should' to 'want to', because with T1D, that mindset can make all the difference...
And today's episode is about movement... but without the punishment.
Without the guilt.
Without the "no excuses" B.S. that forgets we live with a pancreas that bailed on us.
The fitness world loves a dramatic slogan:
"Earn your carbs."
"Pain is progress."
"Train insane or remain the same."
But for those of us with type 1? That messaging doesn't just suck, it's dangerous.
Because when you're trying to avoid a hypo, you might need to eat before a workout.
Or pause mid-run.
Or adjust your insulin strategy just to get through it.
Stats time: Only about one-third of adults with T1D hit the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
What's driving it? That nagging pressure that you must burn serious calories or work out insanely hard, or it doesn't count.
When you've grown up with food rules or strict exercise goals, it's easy to assume movement only matters if it's intense. But that mindset often keeps you from moving at all.
Here's a powerful story - Breakthrough T1D surveyed people with Type 1 - and 50% said that stigma or fear of lows held them back from exercise. But almost every single one that they asked to start working on a plan to exercise...changed their story.
They reported thousands of hours of joy, less stress and more energy once they started working out with a goal & plan for managing T1D.
That shift? It changes everything.
Because movement isn't about erasing calories.
It's about reconnecting with your body.
Today, your mission is simple:
Move in a way that feels good
Not because you "should"... but because you can
And if anyone side-eyes your carbs? Just say:
"I'm fueling joy. Not negotiating shame."
It could be yoga.
Or a walk.
Or breakdancing in the kitchen with your kids just to embarrass them.
Whatever helps you reconnect, not retreat.
The best kind of movement is the kind you come back to.
You don't have to "earn" your right to move.
You already have it.
And if you want help figuring out your blood sugar strategy?
I've got a free Movement Planning Guide to help you prep before, during, and after workouts.
[ ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gwITtfF8tD8wtRmkyPtsOFnRRY0g_bit/view?usp=drive_link)
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Grab the book, Type 1 Diabetes: True Stories, on Amazon, Kindle, or Audible.
And don't miss next Monday's exclusive conversation with Ginger Vieira, airing July 14.
Ginger's going to be my first ever long-form podcast guest, next Monday, July 14.
We're going deep into exercising with T1D:
What to watch for
How to prep
And how to move your body without the mental battle
Mark your calendar. That one's going to be good.
Huge thanks to [Blue Circle Health for sponsoring this podcast]
Ever wish someone had just...shown up when you were first diagnosed?
Blue Circle Health is that someone, offering free virtual care for adults with T1D.
Not "sliding scale" or "if we can get it covered."
Actually. Free.
bluecirclehealth.org
You don't owe anyone an explanation for how you move.
Just start where you are... and let it count.
Let's do this together.
63 - July 9
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.