Physical activity plays a vital, yet often overlooked role, in the management of diabetes. It has been shown that changes in lifestyle that include physical activity have a greater influence on diabetes than medication alone.
Physical activity can help to lower blood glucose levels (which can be determined by diabetes testing), lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, improve circulation, keep your joints flexible and build stronger bones and muscles. Regular physical activity in combination with a healthy meal plan and diabetic recipes can help you to lose weight if needed, or just help you to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise also has the added benefit of helping to raise your "good" cholesterol – HDL and lower your "bad" cholesterol – LDL. You may even find that with more exercise, you'll have more energy, feel less stressed and perhaps even sleep better.
Exercise doesn’t mean you have to jump into an aerobics class or run a marathon. You don’t have to be an athlete, be at your ideal weight, or devote hours of your time. The key to making exercise a part of your daily life is in finding the motivation to do it and then finding activities that you enjoy.
Here are a few low impact ways to exercise:
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Swimming
- Walking
- Gardening
- Bicycle
- Riding
To get the full benefit of exercise, be sure to include these three types of activities: aerobics, strength training and flexibility exercises.
- Aerobic exercises can include brisk walking, dancing, swimming, using a stationary bike, or taking a low impact aerobics class.
- Strength training includes lifting light weights or doing resistance activities with elastic bands.
- Flexibility exercises include gentle stretching that gets you ready for other activities and helps lower your risk of injury.
If you find yourself sedentary for any length of time, try to take a break and do a few chair exercises or stretch. You may take a walk up and down the hall, walk to the kitchen for a cup of coffee or water, or do something as simple as rotating your hands and feet to increase your blood flow.
If you have limited mobility, or before you embark on any rigorous exercise regimen, consult your physician.