Tag: diabetes exercise

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Excercise

Making Fitness Fun When You Have Diabetes

Diabetes and exercise are well linked. Being physically active aids you in managing your diabetes as it increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that enables your cells to use blood sugar as fuel. Additionally, exercise lowers your risk of developing heart disease and nerve damage while assisting with blood sugar regulation. 

Some Benefits of Exercise in Diabetes

Here are some additional benefits of exercise that also help with diabetes and fitness:

  • Being healthy in terms of weight
  • Weight loss, if necessary
  • Enjoying life more
  • Getting more rest
  • Strengthening your memory
  • Maintaining blood pressure control
  • LDL (“bad”) cholesterol reduction and HDL (“good”) cholesterol augmentation

Diabetes Exercise

Try to establish a routine of performing the exercises below on a regular basis. They are extremely simple to incorporate into your daily routine and will provide you with the most benefits for managing your diabetes.

Walking

Walking is the most common activity and is highly advised for those with diabetes because it can be done practically everywhere. A fantastic strategy to boost your physical activity is to walk briskly for 30 minutes five times per week. Even better, divide the 30 minutes into three, 10-minute periods.

Tai Chi

This Chinese exercise technique uses gentle, fluid movements to calm the body and mind. According to studies, those who finish their tai chi lessons significantly enhance their ability to control their blood sugar. Additionally, they claim to have more vitality, energy, and mental health.

Yoga

A well-known kind of exercise, yoga uses flowing movements to increase strength, flexibility, and balance. It can help those who have diabetes and other chronic illnesses. It reduces stress and enhances nerve activity, which results in a higher level of mental wellness. In addition, yoga’s ability to enhance muscle mass may help lower blood sugar levels.

Dancing

Dancing is beneficial to your mind and body. The mental effort required to learn dance moves and patterns actually strengthens memory and brain function. It is a fun and enjoyable way for people with diabetes to boost physical activity, support weight loss, increase flexibility, lower blood sugar, and lessen stress. Many people can dance thanks to chair dancing, which makes it possible for those with restricted physical capabilities.

 Swimming

Swimming is ideal for persons with diabetes because it relaxes and stretches your muscles while putting no stress on your joints. Studies have shown that it lowers stress levels, raises cholesterol levels, and burns calories for people with diabetes or those who are at risk of getting the disease. It is advised that you swim at least three times a week for at least 10 minutes, progressively increasing the duration of the workout to obtain the maximum advantage from it. Last but not least, before you enter the pool, inform the lifeguard that you have diabetes.

Pilates

Popular fitness program Pilates seeks to improve balance, coordination, and core strength. It might also aid in better blood sugar regulation.

Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen to ensure that the exercise you select is safe and suitable for your particular type of diabetes. Start out cautiously, especially if you haven’t engaged in any physical activity lately. 3 Depending on the difficulties you’re dealing with as a result of your diabetes, there may be certain exercises you should avoid. Generally, it is easy to control diabetes with exercise.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/active.html#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20diabetes%2C%20being,heart%20disease%20and%20nerve%20damage.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-best-exercises-for-people-with-diabetes/
https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/top-exercises#pilates

Categories
Lifestyle

Diabetes And Sports: You Can Still Live Your Dreams

A diagnosis of diabetes can be devastating, especially to young adults or teenagers who have dreams of sports stardom. While diabetes may be a disability in many ways, it doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue your dreams. People with diabetes can go on to live productive lives, with many engaging in demanding careers such as firefighting, or pursuing extreme or endurance sports such as stunt biking, racing, football, cricket, and more. We’re so used to focusing on the impact of diabetes that we often fail to take note of diabetic athletes who are out there performing. If they can do it, so can you. 

Diabetes Heroes In The Sports World

In the realm of sports, numerous Olympic and international athletes have faced the challenge of diabetes but have triumphed to achieve remarkable careers. Brais Dacal, a Spanish cyclist, exemplifies this resilience, demonstrating that living with diabetes doesn’t hinder one’s ability to pursue sporting dreams. His journey serves as an inspiration to fellow diabetes patients, encouraging them to embrace an active lifestyle. The Tokyo Olympics showcased Croatian athletes Kristina Tomić and Ivan Marcelić, both living with diabetes. Kristina, a Taekwondo star, and Ivan, a water polo player, demonstrated exceptional prowess in their respective disciplines. Other notable sports stars who have excelled despite diabetes include American track sprint cyclist Mandy Marquardt, football legend Gary Mabbutt of Tottenham, New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan, and cricket legend Wasim Akram. Stay motivated, stay active, and explore the winning spirit even further

Before you get inspired and decide to hit the gym, field, or swimming pool, there are a few things that you need to know.

The Keys To Pursuing Athletics With Diabetes

Physical activity is essential for effectively managing diabetes, but high endurance activities can be challenging. This makes it important to take a number of precautions and follow some basic practices. 

Get Your Doctor’s Approva: Consult your doctor and let them know that you are determined to pursue a particular sport so that they can help you best prepare for it with modifications to meals, insulin dosage, or medications if required. 

Glucose Monitoring: If any physical activity lasts over an hour, you should check levels not just before exercise, but also during the activity so that you will know if you need to have a carb snack with fruits or fruit drinks when sugar levels are low. 

Slow But Consistent: If you’re not already living an active life, start slow and gradually increase the intensity and duration of activity as you build endurance. Consistency is important, so make sure to follow a strict routine for exercise, meals, and medication as this will lower the risk of blood sugar dropping dangerously low. 

Protect Your Feet: Diabetic foot disease doesn’t just threaten older patients, but can affect any diabetes patient. Make sure to wear appropriate and high-quality footwear, specifically suited to the activity you engage in. Inspect your feet carefully for any signs of blisters, ulcers, bruises, or sores daily. 

Be Ready To Stop: Taking a break doesn’t mean quitting. If you experience any unusual pain, chills, headaches, or feel anxious, confused, fatigued, and like your heart is racing, make sure to take a break. 

Work closely with every member of your diabetes team and engage the help of friends, as they will all play a role in helping you achieve your goals. Overcoming diabetes to pursue a sports career is a team effort, whether or not you’re engaged in solo or group sporting events.

References:

  1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-020-05183-8
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3438860/
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124849/