13 Easy exercise tips for Diabetics.

Combine diet and exercise.

Diet is only one side of the lifestyle coin. The other is, of course, exercise.

Exercise helps you to lower your blood sugar and to lose weight. The American Diabetes Association explains:

“When you are active, your cells become more sensitive to insulin so it can work more efficiently. Your cells also remove the main sugar found in the blood using a mechanism totally separate from insulin during exercise. So, exercising consistently can lower blood and improve your A1C. When you lower your A1C [A1C is a test that shows how much glucose sticks to your red blood cells] you may be able to take fewer Diabetes pills or less Insulin.”

Exercise tips for Diabetics:

1. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day.
2. Move more! While exercising is great, moving more is even better. Take the stairs and leave the car at home whenever you can.
3. Start small. Set easily achievable goals so you don’t get put off. Aim for 10 minutes of walking 3 times a week and build up from there.
4. Use a pedometer. If you need a bit of motivation there’s nothing like counting the number of steps you take each day. Aim for 10 000 steps per day.
5. Find an exercise buddy. One of the hardest things is staying motivated when you don’t feel like you’re making any progress. Find someone to workout with and egg each other on.
6. Remind yourself. Put a note or on your fridge or put your exercise time in your diary. Don’t let yourself off the hook.
7. Join a class. If you prefer more structured exercise with someone leading the session, sign up for a class.
8. Keep a record. Write down your goals and make a note of whether you achieve them. Add in how you feel as you persevere and see how your stamina increases over time.
9. Stay on track. Remember that you’re objective is long term health benefits so don’t stray from your goals if you’re not seeing instant results.
10. Change one behaviour at a time. You can expect greater success if you attack one thing at a time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
11. Reward yourself. When you reach a goal allow yourself a treat – a long, uninterrupted bubble bath with a good book or a guilt-free hour watching your favourite TV show?
12. Get a prescription! Ask an expert to establish your fitness levels and give you an exercise plan that covers the right level of intensity and duration.
13. Test yourself. Both before and after your exercise, it’s important to check your sugar levels. Whether you are Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetic, make sure your blood sugar is less than 13.8 mmol/l before exercising.

Sources:

Diabetes.co.uk. n.d. Diabetes Community, Support, Education, Recipes & Resources. [online] Available at: <http://www.diabetes.co.uk/> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

Diabetes.org. n.d. Home | ADA. [online] Available at: <http://www.diabetes.org/> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

Health.com. n.d. Health.Com: Fitness, Nutrition, Tools, News, Health Magazine. [online] Available at: <http://www.health.com/> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. n.d. [online] Available at: <http://health.clevelandclinic.org/> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

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