Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. It also means that a person’s blood sugar is relatively high than normal. It is very important that diabetes be cared for at an early stage to prevent more complications.
Caring for your diabetes simply doesn’t mean taking in the right kind of foods and medication. It also means engaging in physical activity. Exercise is said to prevent diabetes complications. Being physically active also help manage your blood glucose level. This is because when your body is active, you burn calories. It also makes your body sensitive to the production of insulin. All these lower your blood glucose.
It is not only blood glucose that goes down, but exercise can also lower blood pressure. It is also a great tool in improving body fats, raising good cholesterol and lowering the bad ones. An active body may not need to take more insulin or diabetes pills since it already lowers your blood glucose and weight. You are also at less risk for other diseases if you engage in physical activities. Other health benefits of exercise include gaining more energy and sleeping better, relieving stress, building stronger bones and muscles, and being more flexible.
Now that you know the health benefits of exercise for diabetes, it is now important to know some guidelines during, before or after exercising. Make sure you have a source of carbohydrates handy when before exercising. This is because diabetic patients who exercise can feel hungry when their blood sugar levels drop. Once this happens, consume a carbohydrate snack or drink to help bring your blood sugar back to normal. Also check your blood sugar levels before an exercise.
To get started on a physical activity or exercise for your diabetes care, first seek advice from your doctor to find out which activity is safe for you. Once you know which ones are safe, you may now choose what you plan to do and make a schedule. Start from simple exercises before progressing to the more complex ones. Make a journal to track down your exercise activities.
But just how much exercise do you actually need? According to the Diabetes Prevention Program, a diabetic patient needs about 150 minutes of physical activity a week (30 minutes, 5x/wk) to help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. You can start by walking, doing chores, taking the stairs instead of the elevator as small steps for your exercise routine. This might seem a daunting task but once you’ve got the hang of it, exercise will be as easy as pie for you.