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Living with diabetes can present unique challenges, but it doesn’t have to hold you back from living a healthy, active life. One of the most powerful tools in managing diabetes is exercise.
A diabetes-friendly workout routine can significantly affect your overall health, blood sugar control, and quality of life. But getting a doctor’s go-ahead before you start is imperative.
Exercise isn’t just about shedding pounds or gaining muscles – it’s about optimizing your body’s response to insulin, enhancing cardiovascular health, and boosting energy levels.
In this blog post, we’ll examine diabetes and exercise, providing you with the essential knowledge and guidance to create a workout routine tailored to your lifestyle.
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels. There are primarily two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin, and the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. This type is often associated with lifestyle factors like obesity, poor diet, and sedentary behavior.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, “For people who have diabetes—or almost any other disease, for that matter – the benefits of exercise can’t be overstated. Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raise healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve general well-being. There are added benefits for people with diabetes: exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance.”
Setting clear and achievable fitness goals is fundamental in creating a diabetes-friendly workout routine.
Specific goals provide direction and purpose to your fitness journey. Instead of a vague aim like “getting healthier,” you might set a specific goal like “losing 10 pounds,” “lowering my HbA1c by 1%,” or “walking for 30 minutes.” These goals are measurable and give you a clear target to work towards.
Every person with diabetes has unique needs and priorities. Your fitness goals should align with your personal health objectives. Whether it’s weight loss, blood sugar control, improving cardiovascular health, or simply feeling more energetic, your goals should reflect what your doctor advises and what matters most to you.
Setting goals provides motivation. Staying committed to your workout routine becomes easier when you have a concrete objective. On days when you’d rather skip a workout, your goals remind you why you started in the first place. They can be a source of inspiration and determination.
According to Erica Patino, writing in Everyday Health, “The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that you get 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise at least five days a week, or a total of 150 minutes each week.”
According to Karla Walsh, writing in Eating Well, a study published in the journal Diabetologia holds that exercising in the afternoon or evening, ideally between noon and midnight, may significantly decrease insulin resistance and may be better at helping to control blood sugar than A.M. exercise.
The ideal types of exercise to include are these:
Aerobic or cardiovascular exercises get your heart rate up and include activities like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, tennis, or badminton. These exercises improve cardiovascular health, increase insulin sensitivity, and help with weight management. Aerobic activities also lower blood sugar levels by allowing your muscles to use glucose for energy.
Strength training exercises involve working against resistance and include weight lifting, resistance band exercises, and bodyweight workouts like push-ups and squats. Building muscle through strength training helps improve metabolism, as muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. It also enhances insulin sensitivity and contributes to better blood sugar control.
Flexibility exercises, such as yoga and stretching routines, improve joint mobility and reduce the risk of injury. While they may not directly impact blood sugar levels, they are essential for overall physical well-being. Stress reduction and relaxation techniques often accompany flexibility exercises, which can indirectly benefit diabetes management by helping lower stress that can elevate blood sugar.
Develop a solid plan for managing blood sugar during exercise. Again, your doctor would be the best person to advise you on this.
According to Mayo Clinic, “Diabetes and exercise pose unique challenges. To exercise safely, you must track your blood sugar before, during, and after physical activity. This will show you how your body responds to exercise, which can help you prevent potentially dangerous blood sugar fluctuations.
Always carry a source of fast-acting carbohydrates during your workouts – for example, glucose tablets, energy gels, or fruit juice. These can quickly raise your blood sugar in case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and help you avoid dangerous situations.
According to Better Health, “Diabetes can be well managed with healthy eating, combined with regular physical activity and weight management.”
A balanced diet is the key to managing diabetes. It helps regulate blood sugar levels and provides nutrients for overall well-being. Emphasize complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables in daily meals. Monitoring portion sizes and limiting the intake of refined sugars and processed foods is essential.
What you eat before a workout can impact your energy levels and blood sugar. Consume a balanced snack or meal with a combination of carbohydrates and protein about 1-2 hours before exercise. Carbohydrates provide immediate energy, while protein helps maintain blood sugar levels during the workout.
After exercise, your body needs nutrients to recover and stabilize blood sugar levels. Consume a meal or snack that includes carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes to 2 hours after your workout. This helps replenish glycogen stores and supports muscle repair.
Regularly monitoring your exercise routines, blood sugar levels, and overall health is vital to managing diabetes effectively.
According to Family Doctor, keeping a fitness journal or using specialized mobile apps can simplify the process of monitoring. These tools allow you to record your exercise routines, track your blood sugar readings, and even note how you feel before, during, and after workouts. They can help identify patterns and trends, guiding adjustments to your diabetes management plan.
Further, if you have a combination of ailments such as obesity, cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension – along with other hereditary factors – they can combine to have a multiplicative impact on the heart.
While exercise is good for all these conditions, so is regular monitoring. So, make sure your regular check-ups include management of your blood pressure, looking for continued obesity symptoms, and getting screened for cholesterol – in addition to measuring your blood sugar levels.
While exercise is a powerful tool for managing diabetes, it’s equally important to find joy in physical activity for its own sake. Make exercise an integral and enjoyable part of your life rather than solely focusing on its diabetes-related benefits. It should not feel like a medically-related chore.
Use exercise time to clear your mind, connect with your body, and reduce stress. Engaging in group classes can help combine exercise with social interaction. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine to become a natural part of your life that enlivens you.
This shift in mindset will make staying active easier and contribute to your overall well-being and happiness.
