If you’ve been a real “couch potato” and your health care provider tells you to start moving, you can begin by taking small steps towards controlling diabetes. You can walk in place during the commercials on your favorite TV shows…or park your car at the far end of the parking lot at the supermarket…or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

But when you’re ready for a more structured exercise regimen, here are three types of exercise to build into your plan for diabetes management:

Aerobic Exercise 

Jogging, cycling, swimming, tennis, basketball, dancing and even walking are all examples of aerobic exercise. They can be low impact or high impact, depending on the intensity of the effort. The Surgeon General recommends daily aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes or shorter sessions of more intense work-outs for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Even if you have to split your activity into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day, the benefit still adds up.

Many people who stick with a program of aerobic exercise build up to 45-60 minutes each day, or at least five days a week. Some say if they skip a day, they miss the “high” they get from exercise and can’t wait to get back to their daily routine. 

You may find that aerobic exercise helps you lose weight, optimize your blood glucose control and improve your mood.

Resistance or Strength Training

As we age, we lose muscle mass. That’s why resistance or strength training is key to maintaining the muscles you have now and gaining even more. 

Experts say that resistance training, such as using flexible rubber bands, is just as important as aerobic exercise for people with diabetes, as it can increase your body’s insulin sensitivity while it lowers your risk of thinning bones.

A good strength training routine is to work all the major muscle groups two or three days a week, with a rest day in between. You can try biceps curls, triceps curls, overhead presses, leg presses, lunges and abdominal crunches. 

If you don’t belong to a gym, you can work out at home using “light weights” like cans of soup or water bottles. You can eventually work harder by adding weight and more repetitions. But stay safe…be sure to get some professional advice if you’ve never lifted weights before.

Flexibility Training 

Staying flexible is important for everyone and can help us prevent injuries and maintain balance as we age. However, for people with diabetes, flexibility is even more important.

Poor diabetes control can speed up the loss of flexibility by causing glucose to bind to the collagen in joints and make them more brittle. Brittle joints can mean less range of motion and an increased risk of orthopedic injuries. Some orthopedic complications from diabetes include “frozen shoulder,” tendonitis, trigger finger and carpel tunnel syndrome.

Stretching before and after you exercise is one way to work on maintaining flexibility. You may also want to take a yoga class two or three times a week. 

With all exercise, always check with your doctor before beginning anything new. Make sure any coaches or instructors you work with are qualified and make them aware if you are working with any complications.

For more on the benefits of exercise, see an informative video with Certified Diabetes Educator Betty Sirois, MSN, RN, CDE at www.askacde.com.