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Aug 2, 2023 · Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raise healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve your general well-being. There are added benefits for people with diabetes: exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to ...
- Diabetes
If a close relative—particularly, a parent or sibling—has...
- Diabetes
Regular exercise has special advantages if you have diabetes. Regular physical activity improves your body’s sensitivity to insulin and helps manage your blood sugar levels. Exercise is a form of physical activity that is done at enough intensity to improve your fitness. Resistance training, brisk walking, cycling, and jogging are examples of ...
Jan 9, 2024 · Exercise is a key part of managing diabetes. Exercise can help you: Improve your blood sugar levels. Boost your overall fitness. Manage your weight. Lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Improve your well-being.
- Overview
- 1. Walking
- 2. Cycling
- 3. Swimming
- 4. Team sports
- 5. Aerobic dance
- 6. Weightlifting
- 7. Resistance band exercises
- 8. Calisthenics
- 9. Pilates
If you live with type 2 diabetes, exercising regularly can help you manage your blood sugar levels and weight. It may also help you reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, and promote overall health and well-being.
Exercise can also help prevent the development of diabetes in people who have prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) encourages people to get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week.
The benefits of exercising are independent of weight loss. However, compliance with an exercise program has to be consistent in order to see lasting results.
If you’re sedentary and considering starting an exercise program, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor first to make sure there are no restrictions or special precautions. It’s always a good idea to start gradually and build up to your personal goal.
You don’t need a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment to get moving.
If you have a supportive pair of shoes and a safe place to walk, you can start today. In fact, you can meet your recommended minimum target for aerobic fitness by going for a brisk 30-minute walk five days per week.
Roughly half of people with type 2 diabetes have arthritis. The two conditions have several risk factors in common, including obesity.
Diabetic neuropathy, a condition that occurs when the nerves become damaged, can also cause joint pain in people with type 2 diabetes.
Aquatic activities provide another joint-friendly exercise option. For example, swimming, water aerobics, aqua jogging, and other aquatic activities can give your heart, lungs, and muscles a workout, while putting little stress on your joints.
A 2017 review found that aquatic exercise can help lower blood sugar levels, much like land based exercise does.
If you find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise, it might help to join a recreational sports team. The opportunity to socialize with teammates and the commitment you make to them might help you find the motivation you need to show up each week.
Many recreational sports offer a good aerobic workout. Consider trying basketball, soccer, softball, pairs tennis, or ultimate frisbee.
Signing up for an aerobic dance or other fitness class might also help you meet your exercise goals. For instance, Zumba is a fitness program that combines dance and aerobic movements for a fast-paced workout.
A 2015 study found that women with type 2 diabetes were more motivated to exercise after taking part in Zumba classes for 16 weeks. Participants also improved their aerobic fitness and lost weight.
Weightlifting and other strengthening activities help build your muscle mass, which can increase the number of calories you burn each day. Strength training may also help improve your blood sugar control, according to the ADA.
If you want to incorporate weightlifting into your weekly exercise routine, you can use weight machines, free weights, or even heavy household objects, such as canned goods or water bottles.
Weights aren’t the only tool you can use to strengthen your muscles. You can also perform a wide variety of strengthening activities with resistance bands.
To learn how to incorporate them into your workouts, speak with a professional trainer, take a resistance band class, or watch a resistance band workout video.
In calisthenics, you use your own bodyweight to strengthen your muscles. Common calisthenic exercises include pushups, pullups, squats, lunges, and abdominal crunches.
Whether you choose to strengthen your muscles with weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight, try to work out every major muscle group in your body.
Pilates is a popular fitness program that’s designed to improve core strength, coordination, and balance. According to a 2020 study of older adult women with type 2 diabetes, it may also help improve blood sugar control.
Consider signing up for a Pilates class at your local gym or Pilates studio. Many instructional videos and books are also available.
These exercises involve the use of free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, or using your own body’s weight to build and/or maintain muscle and strength (for example, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges). Studies have shown the benefits of both aerobic and resistance exercise for people with diabetes, which together will have a greater impact.
Jul 6, 2022 · There are a number of exercises that can help you improve your blood sugar control. Ideally doing a combination of exercises will give you the most benefit. Some of the exercises with the most health benefits include: Aerobic exercise: continuous bouts of exercise (e.g., jogging, cycling, hiking) that elevate your breathing and heart rate.
People also ask
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Can exercise prevent diabetes in people with prediabetes?
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If you're at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, regular exercise can help delay or even prevent diabetes from developing. Strive to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week (e.g. 30 minutes, five days a week) and resistance exercises (like lifting weights) two to three times a week. Physical ...