Diabetes affects the wellbeing of millions of people around the world, and is said to be the fastest growing type of chronic disease in the developed world. There are many risk factors that can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, such as those who are obese or have a sedentary lifestyle which involves very little exercise. Adults over the age of 45 are in the risk category too, as are those who have a history of diabetes in the family.
In addition to this, diabetes can be hard to diagnose as it does not cause painful symptoms and most of the symptoms attributed to it can also be diagnosed as other things. It is vital to get a diagnosis, however, as the long-term effects on the body can be serious and lead to complications affecting the heart, eyes, nerves and kidneys, amongst other things.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is no longer able to convert glucose in the body into energy and instead stores unhealthy levels of sugar. If you are at risk of developing the condition, or even if you are low risk, it is a good idea to take steps to prevent the disease. Up to 60 percent of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented if people led active and healthy lifestyles. Your physical wellness is totally within your own control, so this is the one way that you can directly fight against diabetes.
Excess fat around the waistline is linked to diabetes, so it is important that you lose weight from this region, even if your BMI is within a normal range.
Regular exercise also helps your body to control glucose, because the muscles use up stores of glucose during exercise. Exercise also has numerous other benefits such as lowering cholesterol, strengthening muscles and bone support and lowering blood pressure.
Exercise can be taken as part of the daily routine, and should include 30 minutes of moderate exercise around five times per week. This can be as simple as walking round the park or going for a swim. As your strength and fitness increases you can build in more complicated or high-intensity workouts, as the extra intensity increases the body’s insulin sensitivity which helps to fight against diabetes.
Comments are closed.