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Exercise and Diabetes: What you should know

What if taking two to four hours out of your week could prevent you from experiencing complications from diabetes? For an estimated 135 million people worldwide living with diabetes, 15 to 30 minutes of daily exercise offers not only the common advantages of stress relief and better weight control, but it also helps delay serious health complications. With this chronic disease, for which there is no cure, prevention remains the best way to combat life-threatening complications. Without making life altering changes, adding moderate exercise to your daily routine can be a great way to reduce your risks of serious health complications and maintain control of your disease.

While those with diabetes experience the same benefits from exercise as everyone else, it plays a more significant role for people with diabetes because of their increased risk of heart disease, the leading killer of people with diabetes. Due to poor circulation, people with diabetes carry a greater risk for heart disease, and cutting your risks factors with exercise can help reduce your risks for cardiovascular disease.

How exactly does exercise affect diabetes? In general, exercise is beneficial to the health of both types of diabetes because it offers better control over the disease, helps maintain weight, improves self-esteem and even lifts spirits when living with a chronic disease is too overwhelming. However, while exercise is a good remedy to preventing diabetic complications, everyone with diabetes responds differently to exercise. Other than universal need for exercise, no generalizations can be made about how to tailor an exercise program to all people living with diabetes.

When planning an exercise program it is very important to take extra precautions based on your type of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

For those with type 1 diabetes, it is a good idea to test your blood twice before exercising: once an hour before exercising and then 30 minutes before you begin your workout. This will give you a good indicator of whether your blood glucose level is stabilizing or dropping. According to the American Diabetes Association, for most people, the safe pre-workout blood glucose range is from 100 to 250 mg/dL. If your blood glucose level is below this range, have a snack before exercising. If it is between 100 to 150 mg/dL be prepared to snack while exercising.

Type 2 Diabetes

For those with type 2 diabetes, exercise increases cellular insulin sensitivity by taking glucose out of the blood to use for energy during and after exercise, this process then helps reduce the dose of insulin or oral medication needed. The American Diabetes Association recommends not to exercise with a blood glucose level over 200mg/dL. In most people with type 2 diabetes, high blood glucose levels do not represent insulin insufficiency, but instead insulin resistance. In this instance, exercise will help reduce this resistance, lower elevated glucose levels and improve the efficiency of insulin.

Starting an exercise program

When beginning an exercise program, there are some important steps to take:

• Visit your doctor for a complete physical. Work with your physician to plan an exercise program that meets your needs.
• Monitor your blood glucose level frequently while exercising, including before and after exercise. Keep a journal and record your blood glucose levels. After a while, you'll learn how your body responds to physical activity.
• In case of an emergency, carry some short acting glucose solutions such as an apple, hard candy or juice box.
• Examine your feet before and after exercise. Look for blisters or reddened areas from excessive pressure. If foot sores or pains persist, see your doctor.
• Avoid exercising during extreme weather conditions such as sub-zero temperatures or high humidity. These conditions can cause added stress to your lungs and heart.
• Before beginning a new program, make sure to discuss any new exercise plans with your healthcare provider.

Why exercise?

Why not! Compared to the hours you devote each week to managing your diabetes, two to four hours of exercise can reap you major physical and emotional benefits. Adopting a healthy lifestyle to include a low-intensity exercise program is a good way to tighten your control over diabetes and minimize your risks of life-threatening complications. Diabetes may be a chronic disease, but the choices you make will determine how it affects you.

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