Regular exercise is especially important for a diabetic.
Exercise helps control the amount of sugar in the blood and increases
levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. It also burns excess calories and fat
to help achieve optimal weight and significantly affects how the body
utilizes insulin. Most diabetics don't believe that performing exercises
regularly will help control blood sugar levels, and either decrease the
severity or reduce the long-term complications of diabetes.
Understanding the relationships between food, diabetes medication, and
activity levels is essential to controlling blood sugar levels. Each
interacts with the others. As a diabetic, you must find a balance for
your individual situation. Not all types of exercises can be performed
by every diabetic. Aerobic exercises are moderate intensity and a good
place for a diabetic to begin. Such exercises increase the heart rate,
work on muscles, and improve the breathing capacity of the lungs.
Aerobic exercises are usually performed 30 minutes to an hour for five
days a week. You burn energy when exercising - your energy source being
the excess glucose in your blood. The more glucose you use, the lower
your glucose levels. Although your goal is low glucose levels, exercise
can cause your blood sugar to drop too low. Do some physical activity
each day. If you are relatively inactive, start with about 10 minutes
of exercise. Add more time, or increase the frequency up to three times a
day. In other words, a total of 30 minutes a day will work wonders for
the body. Formal exercises you can choose from:
- Swim or do water aerobic exercises.
- Ride your bicycle outside or a stationary bicycle indoors. The advantage of a stationary bicycle is your exercise routine is independent of the weather.
- Take a brisk walk. This exercise can take place outside or inside. Outside might include walking around one or more blocks, following a path at a local park, or using a track at a school. For indoors, you can walk up and down stairs, walk a path from one room to another and back and forth, or walk on a treadmill.
- Vacuuming. This mixes walking with stretching of leg, arm and back muscles.
- Go ice-skating or roller-skating.
- Go dancing.
- Jog or play tennis.
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