Diabetes and Fitness

Improve your Control of Diabetes with Exercise

 It’s no secret that exercise is the second most important part of maintaining a normal blood sugar range.  Second only to diet, regular exercise does the most to help you control your diabetes.  Diabetes and fitness are a good combination…especially if you want your diabetes blood sugar to stay as close as possible to a normal range blood sugar.

 Well-controlled diabetes and fitness go hand in hand.  Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are the keys to good diabetes control and health.  According to the Mayo Clinic regular exercise no only helps control your blood sugars, it also reduces the risk of heart disease and nerve damage. These are two primary complications of diabetes.  Here are few suggestions to help you get start your path to healthy diabetes and fitness.  

  Before You Begin

Before you begin a regular fitness regimen, you should check with your doctor to find out the best time for you to exercise.  If you are taking medications or insulin to control your diabetes you will want to schedule your exercise at a time when the activity won’t be likely to cause hypoglycemic symptoms or low blood sugar.  Hypoglycemic symptoms include hunger, confusion, shakiness, sweating, weakness, nervousness, anxiety, sleepiness, light-headedness, and difficulty speaking, Left untreated you can pass out and require immediate medical attention.  While low blood sugar is a possible result of exercise if you are taking diabetic medications or insulin, you should not let this possibility prevent you from regular exercise.  Just make sure you have glucose tablets or some other form of immediate acting sugar with you during your fitness routine.  

 What types of exercise are best for diabetes?

 No one specific form of exercise is best for those with diabetes.  A good exercise regimen for diabetes and fitness includes both aerobic exercise and strength training.   One note about strength training, if you have lost feeling in your feet, be sure to check with your doctor about which strength training exercises to avoid.   

If you haven’t been exercising on a regular basis, start slowly and don’t over work yourself…especially in the beginning. 

 Also try to schedule your fitness regimen at the same times each day.  Exercise does have a direct impact on blood sugar levels, even hours after exercising as well as even into the next day.  By scheduling your exercise routine at the same times each day, you’ll fewer spikes and lows to manage.  This does not mean you can’t break your routine down into different segments at different times during the day, just try to be consistent, as you will have less trouble managing your blood sugars. . 

 Exercise and Blood Sugar Changes

 AS I just stated, exercise causes significant impacts on blood sugar levels.  Regular exercise may alter your normal diabetes management.  Monitoring and recording your blood sugars will help you identify a pattern.  Identifying a pattern will help you and your health care team to make adjustments in your medications and meals to match your exercise regimen.

Diabetes and Fitness – Other Benefits

Regular exercise not only helps you to control diabetes it has many other benefits as well.  Exercise can help you lose weight, reduce diabetes medications, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduce stress, and help you sleep better at night.  Exercise and a sensible meal plan can allow some people with diabetes type 2 to control their diabetes without any medications. 

 If you have diabetes or pre diabetes get moving on a regular basis for better health.

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