Diabetes and exercise.
 Good fitness is a major key factor for all of us, regardless if
we are healthy or we are experiencing problems. Especially when it comes to prevention of
diabetes complications or treatment of the disease, exercise, along with proper diet and medication, is the best way, since it can help in good
control of blood glucose.
Exercise can also prevent high blood pressure, reduce and increase bad and good cholesterol respectively, improve the
body's capability to use insulin, decrease the risk
for cardiovascular disease.
It is well known that daily physical
activity, in general, promotes the enhancement of myoskeletal system, keeps the joints flexible,
makes elderly people more confident and self-sufficient, helps the individual to lose weight, reduces body fat, improves basal metabolic rate, gives more energy and
controls stress.
Specialists have been convinced that regular physical activity, in combination with
healthy and balanced diet, and proper body mass index, can prevent type 2 diabetes in people with burdened hereditary
background.
Physical activity should be safe and enjoyable. You can consult your doctor about what
types of aerobic or anaerobic exercise are suitable to you.
How can I be active and safe?
 Avoid sedentary
lifestyle and try to be as active as possible. This does not mean you have
to be a champion. Do simple things and keep your exercise within the limits your doctor
has set for you. Doing reasonable gardening, washing your car, using the stairs and not
escalators or elevators and doing the housework are some examples for regular physical
activity. Using your car as less as possible is a good idea. Try to walk short distances
and cycle for the medium ones. If you think half an hour of exercise is too much for you,
you can do that in more sessions. The main thing for you is to do 150-200 minutes of
exercise during the week. You can divide this time to as many sessions as you want,
providing they are equal.
Do regular
cardiovascular exercise. It is well acknowledged that aerobic exercise performed for at least
thirty minutes a day, three or four times a week, keeps our body in very good condition.
Examples of cardiovascular exercise include, walking, jogging, cycling, swimming,
training with fitness equipment and dancing.
Try anaerobic
exercise. This type of exercise usually includes strength workouts.
Weight training, doing sit-ups, pull-ups or
push-ups and working with springs or elastic bands are the most typical examples. Because
anaerobic exercise is quite intensive and requires some level of fitness, you may have to
check with your healthcare provider whether this type of physical activity is suitable
for you or not. If you can afford it and you have enough space to put it in, a home
multipurpose gym machine will be ideal for your
anaerobic training.
Be cautious, if
you haven’t had much of exercise recently. You should be advised by
your doctor about the kind of exercise which is appropriate for you and how much of that
you need.
Never push
yourself too much. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. In
order to prevent injuries, severe delayed onset muscle soreness or
hypoglycemic incidents, start gently without exceeding the ten minutes of exercise daily.
Give time to your body to get used to the new physical activity and try not to shock it.
Increase duration and intensity of exercise gradually. Overtime, you will be pleasantly
surprised with your improved fitness.
Always warm up
before exercising and cool down after that. Do that properly and you will
avoid any injuries. Gentle stretching will help to the same direction by improving the
flexibility of your joints.
Drink plenty of
water, before during and after your exercise session. This will prevent any
dehydration and muscle cramps.
Always wear
comfortable shoes and soft socks, in order to avoid any foot damage and
potential ulceration.
Take additional
and secure measures to prevent hypoglycemia. This is extremely
important. Learn more about these precautions in Hypoglycemia Treatment and
Prevention page on this site.
Check your blood
sugar before you start exercising. If the random blood glucose level is
300mg/dL or the fasting figure is 250mg/dL or higher, postpone your exercising. Do the
same thing if your random figures are less than 80mg/dL, if you don’t want to take
the risk for a hypoglycemic episode. Take the necessary measures to adjust your blood
glucose and don’t start your exercise before  you make sure that you have reached the proper levels. If you have any
doubt, try to contact your doctor. In general, avoid exercising, if you don’t feel
well.
Try to have your
exercise sessions at the same time each day. This, in combination with
scheduled meals and medication intake, will help in control of blood glucose .
|
