Physical activity is the key to good health and an effective way to lose weight and obesity.
Exercise and sports in patients with diabetes contribute to:
- Improving general well-being and metabolism;
- Mood boost, because endorphins (hormones of joy) produced in the brain in response to some natural stimuli. Exercises are one of them.
- Normalization of all types of metabolism in the body: protein, fat, carbohydrate.
Follow the rules to keep yourself safe during sports:
- Get a medical examination before you start exercising. It is necessary to determine your health status to choose the right sport. With severe complications, there are some restrictions on the intensity of the exercise.
Perform the following medical examination:
- Blood test
- Clinical urine tests
- Biochemical blood test
- Consultation with an ophthalmologist
- Check glucose levels, heart rate and blood pressure before each exercise.
If you feel unwell or the basic indicators are unsatisfactory (tachycardia / low or high sugar / hypertensive crisis or low blood pressure, or hypoglycemia) strength training should be canceled this time. Do not train hungry. You can eat at least 1 hour before activity. Drink enough water during exercise.
Frequency of training is 3-5 times a week.
Exercises should be 10-15 minutes in the first week of training. Every 3-5 days you can increase the duration (by 5-7 minutes) and intensity of exercise. Calculate the time for training so that after 3-4 weeks the duration of the lesson will be 40-45 minutes.
Seven types of exercise that people with diabetes can do:
Morning exercises.
It’s a budget and easy way. This type of activity is allowed by doctors even in severe diabetes with complications.
Walking.
Walking is effective even in the presence of severe complications (except for diabetic foot syndrome). Regular walks at an energetic pace reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Running.
This sport can have a negative impact on health for people with severe diabetes. Your heart rate rises when you run, so you must be careful.
Plan your exercises as follows:
- Start by walking.
- Gradually alternate walking with running.
- Run at a slow or very slow pace.
Cycling.
This is not only an interesting type of physical activity, but also an opportunity to breathe fresh air. To make training safe, choose well-known routes with a flat surface.
Swimming.
While you swimming all muscle groups work, and the risk of injury is very low. This type of sport contributes to moderate calorie loss. Thus, swimming is a useful and effective way to improve your health and metabolism.
Aqua aerobics.
It is the most effective way to lose weight. During aqua aerobics classes movements are energetic, and hydro massage improves blood circulation.
Aerobic dances (step aerobics).
This is a very intense type of exercise because it speeds up the heart rate very much. Aerobics can help you lose weight and lower blood sugar.
Intensive step aerobics contraindicated in severe diabetes, people with heart and neurological complications.