Diabetes And Exercise

Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a Physician or a Physiotherapist by profession. The materials discussed here are from reliable source and are written based on my understanding of the subject. Do not consider this as a medical advice.

One of the ways in which diabetes can be brought under control is through exercise. The other two criterion are drugs / medications and diet.

Exercise has a lot of benefits especially for the diabetics. I have outlines a few of them here.

1. Regular exercise helps the body to respond to insulin. On the long term effect, exercise lowers blood sugar levels and sometimes even reduces the dosage of medications.
2. Exercise burns the calories and thus we are able to maintain a healthy body weight. Obese people can lose weight and achieve the desirable body weight.
3. It improves blood circulation and hence prevents the complications of diabetes.
4. Stress is also another reason for diabetes to shoot up. Exercise helps reduce the stress.
5. Keeps the blood cholesterol and blood pressure under control.
6. In some people with Type II diabetes, being on a regular exercise schedule keep them off the medication!

How often or how much to exercise?

Well, this can be decided only by your Physician or your Physiotherapist. They will look into your history of diabetes, the blood sugar values over a period of time and how much you are under control, presence of any other illness/ disease etc. There are a wide range of exercise to choose from starting from walking to swimming, jogging, aerobic dancing, cycling etc. Many poses in yoga are also said to be beneficial. They will suggest what type of exercise best suits you, how long or how often you have to exercise

Start slowly and make it a point to continue the exercise regimen.

Exercise and Hypoglycemia

We have already seen about hypoglycemia in the previous post. Hypoglycemia is the sudden lowering of blood glucose levels.

Always talk to your Dietitian / Physician regarding the foods to take before exercising so that you will not go into hypoglycemia.

Keep a carbohydrate rich snack / beverage / candy / chocolate in your bag. Take a carbohydrate rich meal if you go into hypoglycemia and consult your doctor. He may change the exercise routine.


When not to exercise?

1. Exercise must be stopped if the blood sugar level is too low or too high.
2. When there are feet problems like loss of sensation / sores/ blisters / wounds / tingling sensation/ cramps etc.
3. Feeling a crushing pain in the chest, chest pain, shortness of breath etc.
4. Repeated incidences of hypoglycemia.

Points to remember before exercising:

1. Talk to your Doctor and then start exercising
2. Start slowly and continue the schedule.
3. Keep a tab of blood sugar values before and after exercise and discuss it with your doctor.
4. Have a chocolate/ candy with you always to use if you go into hypoglycemia.
5. Check feet for sores/ cracks/ blisters / wounds everyday
6. Wear comfortable shoes
7. Remember when not to exercise [ as mentioned above]

Try these things to get physically active

• Be active in the evening instead of watching TV. Go for a walk in the park , any other place that interests you.
• Use the stairs instead of elevators.
• Park your vehicle away from the area where you are planning to do your shopping and walk.
• Inside the office walk upto your friends cabin to chat instead of talking to them over the phone.
• In between your work stretch or do some flexing exercise once in a while to relax your muscles.

Diabetes – An introduction
Gestational Diabetes-Part I
Gestational Diabetes- Part II
Handling diabetes under special situations
Risks / Complications of uncontrolled diabetes #1 -Heart and Blood vessels, eyes, Kidney
Risks / Complications of uncontrolled diabetes #2 – Nerve damage, teeth and gums.
Exotic Diabetic Cooking–Book Review

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Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika
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Healthy Life ,Happy Life…..