A chronic condition such as diabetes needs medication to keep it under control. But patients can also take some control over their condition by using exercise to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Diabetes is caused when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough or any insulin to help glucose enter the body’s cells and so the glucose builds up in the blood, creating dangerously high sugar levels.
There are two main types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2. Type 1 develops when the insulin-producing cells have been destroyed and the body cannot produce any insulin at all. This type of diabetes will typically develop in childhood but can appear at any time before the age of 40. Type 2 occurs when the body is still able to make insulin but not enough or when the insulin it can produce doesn’t work properly, known as insulin resistance. Type 2 usually develops in people after the age of 40 but is becoming more common in the young.
Exercise can help diabetics, regardless of which type they have, because activity can help to reduce blood sugar levels while increasing the chances of the patient having a healthy body weight. Diabetics face an increased risk of developing heart disease and regular exercise can reduce that risk.
An unhealthy lifestyle is thought to be the leading factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Often patients are overweight and do little or no exercise.
It’s important to participate in exercise that gets the heart rate up while also taking part in strength or resistance training such as lifting weights. Cardio exercises such as aerobics, cycling, jogging or power walking are ideal but do get medical advice before embarking on a workout program.
When you do work out, make sure you drink plenty of water as it is very easy for diabetics to become dehydrated. Take a note of your blood sugar level before you start exercising and once you have finished. Make sure you have snacks in case your sugar levels are low.
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