Controlling Diabetes with Exercise

Diabetes is a chronic condition wherein the glucose in the blood rises to uncontrollable levels. Treatment of diabetes entails a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and that includes proper diet, medication, and exercise. Of these three ways of managing diabetes, physical activity or exercise is often the cheapest and most convenient, since you don’t need to go to the gym just to engage in some physical activity. Controlling diabetes with exercise can be done right inside your home.

Here are some exercises that will help you control diabetes and live an active and overall healthy lifestyle:

• Stretching – Stretching exercises will help improve your flexibility, prevent muscle soreness after exercise, and lower down your stress levels. This should be done before and after your exercise sessions for controlling diabetes. If you are doing strength training exercises, remember to stretch your target muscle first before you exercise so as to get rid of sore muscles after exercising. Stretching exercises often serve as warm up and cool down exercises.

 

• Aerobic exercise – Aerobic workouts are exercises that require the use of large muscles. It helps increase your heart rate and make your breathing deeper, thereby helping you control diabetes and at the same time reduce your risk for developing cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Aerobic exercises can be done as short as 30 minutes per day, five days per week. You may even break down those 30 minutes throughout the day, such as 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon, and the last 10 minutes in the evening. Examples of aerobic exercises include swimming, dancing, cycling, and playing various active sports.

 

• Strength training – Aside from doing aerobic exercises, you also need to engage in strength training exercises at least three times a week in order to build your muscles and reduce fat. Having more muscles than fats helps burn more calories even between your exercise sessions. It will help tone your muscles, keep you fit, and maintain your weight in an acceptable level, as this is one of the goals in diabetes management. These exercises done with hand weights, weight machines, and elastic bands will help improve your coordination and balance, as well as strengthen your bones.

 

• Everyday activities – If you are unable to engage in some exercise program in order to control your diabetes; do not worry because your everyday chores can already count as physical activities. The important thing in controlling diabetes with exercise is that you keep on moving and avoid just sitting or lying down all day. Think of things that you can do that will get you moving, such as walking your dog around the neighborhood, cleaning your house, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or washing the car. All these things can help burn some calories and keep your blood sugar levels controlled.

Exercise is an integral part in controlling diabetes. Make sure that you get your daily dose of exercise to manage your blood glucose levels and maintain your weight. However, you should first consult your doctor before doing any exercise so that you know which exercises are safe for you.

For more information on controlling diabetes, click here.