Physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. In addition to improving your general health and well being, increasing your daily level of activity may help you to better manage your diabetes. It can reduce insulin resistance – this means that your body can use insulin more efficiently.
This is especially important for people with type 2 diabetes. And if you don’t have diabetes, exercise can also help to prevent “insulin resistance syndrome” which can develop into type 2 diabetes and increase the risk of heart disease as well.
For people with diabetes, exercise seems to make muscles and other tissues more sensitive to insulin, so less insulin is needed to move glucose out of the blood and into muscle cells.Some people with type 2 diabetes find they no longer have to take insulin or other diabetes medication once they start a regular exercise program.
However, you should never start an exercise program or make changes in your diet, insulin, or medication without first talking it over with your health care team. Always start your exercise program with five minutes of slow exercise to warm-up. Then increase the intensity and end your session with five minutes of slow exercise to cool-down. Exercise as often as possible, but at least every other day. Start with 10-20 minutes if you are new to exercising. Build up to 30-45 minutes after several weeks.
In a recent study at the Duke University Medical Center, researchers found that long-term, intensive exercise can significantly improve the body’s ability to control blood glucose levels, adding further evidence that exercise can slow the development of diabetes or heart disease in people at risk. The study also reports that these beneficial effects of exercise were maintained one month after ending the exercise program.
How to stay motivated:
If you keep in mind just how beneficial exercise is for your diabetes, it might help you to stick to your exercise routine. In addition to lowering your blood glucose, exercise can:
• Help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Improve your heart and circulation, and reduce blood pressure.
• Increase your energy levels, but also help you sleep and relax.
• Have positive psychological effects, making you feel good while helping you combat stress.
• Improve the health of your bones and help prevent osteoporosis.
Some other tips to help you keep moving:
• Joining a group can make exercising more fun and having other people with you can make it easier. You might also benefit from the added bonus of meeting new people.
• Schedule your workout and stick to it.
• Use a mixture of exercise activities instead of doing the same thing every day.
• Set realistic and specific goals. Don’t expect to lose a lot of weight within a few days. Set goals like exercising four times a week and losing 15 pounds this year.
• Reward yourself when you meet your goals.
• Track your progress. Keep an exercise journal and record noticeable changes.
