For individuals with diabetes — or almost every other disease, for that matter — the advantages of exercise can't be overstated. Exercise may help control weight, lower blood pressure, lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, increase healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall health. It helps to enhance. There are additional advantages for individuals with diabetes: Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and increases your body's sensitivity to insulin, combating insulin resistance.
Many studies point to those and other advantages of exercise. Following are some highlights of those results:
- Exercise reduced HbA1c values by 0.7 percentage points in people of various ethnic groups with diabetes who were taking different medications and following different diets—and this improvement occurred even after they lost weight. It didn't occur.
- All forms of exercise—aerobic, resistance, or each (combination training)—were equally good at reducing HbA1c values in individuals with diabetes.
- Both resistance training and aerobic exercise helped reduce insulin resistance in previously sedentary older adults with abdominal obesity in danger for diabetes. Combining each forms of exercise proved to be more useful than doing either one alone.
- People with diabetes who walked not less than two hours per week were less more likely to die from heart disease than their sedentary counterparts, and those that exercised three to 4 hours per week. The risk is even lower.
- Women with diabetes who did not less than 4 hours of moderate exercise (including walking) or vigorous exercise per week had a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease than those that didn't exercise. These advantages remained after the researchers adjusted for confounding aspects including BMI, smoking, and other heart disease risk aspects.
In general, the perfect time to exercise is one to a few hours after a meal, when your blood sugar levels are more likely to be highest. If you utilize insulin, it's vital to examine your blood sugar before exercising. If the pre-workout level is below 100 mg/dL, eating a bit of fruit or a small snack will increase it and provide help to avoid hypoglycemia. Retesting after half-hour will tell in case your blood sugar level is stable. It's also idea to examine your blood sugar after a very strenuous workout or activity. If you're taking insulin, your risk of hypoglycemia could also be highest six to 12 hours after exercise.
Because of the risks related to diabetes, at all times wear a medical alert bracelet that shows that you might have diabetes and that you simply take insulin. Carry hard candy or glucose tablets with you during exercise in case your blood sugar drops quickly.
