Exercises For Children With Diabetes

Exercises for kids with type 1 or type 2 diabetes has numerous and diverse benefits, including improvement when it comes to weight control, reduction in the risk of acquiring cardiovascular disease, an increase in self-confidence and overall wellbeing.

As a parent, you should keep in mind that it is completely safe and highly recommended for your child with diabetes to exercise. Regular exercise and physical activity are vital when it comes to stabilising your child’s blood glucose levels, reducing obesity that is associated with a poor diet and lack of exercise, and reducing diabetic complications, such as those of the kidney, eye, nerves, and heart.

Young Children And Adolescents

Children, as well as adolescents with type 1 diabetes, need to devote a minimum of 60 minutes each day to exercise. Some popular aerobic exercises for children include biking, swimming, and running. When it comes to anaerobic exercises, you must encourage your child to perform short-exertion, high-intensity movements, such as sprinting and jumping. Other excellent forms of exercise include strength training (with weights) and yoga.

Activities For Children With Type 1 Diabetes

Staying active offers the best benefits when it is carried out on a regular basis. Hence, you need to find out what activities interest your child the most. If children genuinely enjoy the activity or exercise, then it significantly increases the odds that they would continue to participate.

If your child is enthusiastic about sports, then you could sign them up for some sports league. If your child is not inclined towards organised activity, you need not lose sleep because you child can be equally active in your own backyard. Encourage your child to ride a bike, play outdoors with friends, or something as simple as walking your dog.

As a parent, you must set an excellent example for your child by taking the stairs and ditching the elevator or walking to shops that lie in close vicinity instead of travelling by your car. You can even join your child on regular walks after dinner to encourage them. Although these are not intense exercises, they help in forming healthy habits that will make a substantial difference when it comes to managing type 1 diabetes.

The fundamental goal is to get your child “moving.” An excellent guideline to follow is that your child needs to get an hour of physical activity each day. This may sound like it’s too much; however, keep in mind that this does not need to be a strenuous activity.

Fun Activities For Children

The best way to keep children active is to zero in on exercises that truly interest them. Involving them in a team sport is an excellent way to form a routine. That said, this is not necessary if their passions lie elsewhere.

Getting children to play outdoor games, making up dances to popular songs, hiking, or riding a bicycle are good choices to keep them active for 1 hour every day.

The important thing to keep in mind is that kids should not feel singled out or made to feel that they need exercise because of their health condition. To avoid this, make exercise a family affair. Exercise and physical activity are a fun way to bond, while simultaneously keeping everyone in shape. Devote specific time every day to establish an exercise routine where the entire family participates. For instance, each morning before children head to board their bus to school, you may lead the family in jumping jacks.

Certain diabetic complications may mean that you need to avoid certain exercises. For instance, those with kidney disease, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy must avoid strenuous activities like lifting heavyweights. Opting for a brisk walk is more advisable.

How To Reach Exercise Goals

You need to be a good role model for your child. Hence, be as active as possible.

Motivate your child to try a wide range of activities. Let them have a go at many and see which one they prefer.

Games such as hide-and-seek and hopscotch are not only fun exercises for children but also great ways to get them moving. Allocating household chores to children will surely increase their activity levels.

Provide encouragement to children to stay active post-school hours and on weekends. The goal is to help minimise the time spent with smartphones and the TV.

If the need arises, you can successfully shorten 1 hour of activity into sessions lasting 15-20 minutes each.

The Last Word

Diabetes should not hinder a child’s ability to play a sport of his or her liking. On the contrary, such sports should be encouraged. Make adjustments to meals and insulin shots based on the type and duration of exercise chosen. Blood sugar monitoring is vital too. Levels should be checked before, during, and after the preferred exercise. To avoid hypoglycemia or extremely low blood sugar levels, you need to monitor your child’s blood glucose levels several hours post-exercise and just before bed.

Reference Links:

1. https://www.endocrineweb.com/guides/type-1-children/physical-activity-children-type-1-diabetes
2. https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/diabetes-care/4-ways-to-keep-kids-with-diabetes-healthy-and-active.html
3. https://exerciseright.com.au/kids-diabetes/
4. https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/exercise-and-type-1
5. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/your-child-and-diabetes/physical-activity