If you are looking for the prime mover of diabetes and exercise, look no further than Sheri, as in Sheri Colberg-Ochs, Ph.D.
Sheri has been at the forefront of exercise, sports, and active lifestyle for PWD’s for many years. Her first research paper on diabetes and exercise was written when she was twelve years old. The main focus of the paper was herself since, she jokes, she knew everything there was to know about living with T1 diabetes. After all, she had been diagnosed at age four and a half. She even took charge of her insulin shots when she was six. Sixteen years later, a big epiphany occurred for Sheri when she could document her bg’s by using a glucose meter. But even during the pre-meter days, she knew she felt better when she was engaged in physical activity.
It is her unique mix of love of sports and love of knowledge that separates Sheri from the pack. She is the physio fit-intellectual of exercise and diabetes. Diabetes, research, writing, and science had always captivated Sheri. At the same time, she was immersed in a variety of sports and fitness activities: swimming, soccer, volleyball, tennis, racquetball, and strength training, to name some. She thinks of herself as a jack of all sports and master of none. Her love of knowledge and competitive level of achievement throughout high school earned her a 4.0-grade average and class valedictorian. Then, her interests led to degrees from Berkeley and Stanford Universities, where besides earning a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, Sheri held the position of equipment manager for the division 1 Stanford football team, a job she loved!
Her Time Teaching
In time Dr. Colberg-Ochs became a tenured professor of exercise physiology at Old Dominion University and an adjunct professor of internal medicine at East Virginia Medical School. She has written ten books, eighteen chapters in books, and over two hundred seventy-five articles in related fields of safe and effectual ways to exercise with diabetes. And from what I hear, there are many more projects in the works. The Diabetic Athlete and The Diabetic Athletes Handbook are go-to books for PWD’s for learning everything there is to know about managing blood sugars and diabetes care at all levels of sports and exercise.
Recently, Sheri was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Educator in Diabetes for 2016 honor by the American Diabetes Association. There is so much more to learn about this smart, courageous, feisty T1 who has built her life on the belief that PWD’s can and should live long, strong, active, and healthy lives, moving as much as possible all day long with determination and a positive attitude. And as Sheri says, “Make it fun!”
For information on links, blogs, books, and cutting edge diabetes education go to www.shericolberg.com and don’t forget to keep your MoTo Move active!
Some Tips
Here are a few cool tips for moving through the sweltering heat of August. We all know about the importance of hydration before, during, and after exercise. Be sure to check out labels of any bottled or processed drinks you like. Sometimes the carb level is way too high. After a summer workout or day at the beach, keep a spray bottle in the fridge to spritz yourself off. My favorite mixture is a simple mix of parsley, mint, and lavender or chamomile from the garden. I boil a pot of water and add the herbs, lower heat to a simmer for ten minutes, and let cool. Once cool, pour the liquid into a spray bottle and keep handy in the refrigerator for your post-exercise enjoyment. It’s a cool thing to do.