If you have just made your debut and don’t know what simple exercises you can do for diabetes, here are some recommendations.
Exercise is one of the essential pillars that help keep blood glucose levels under control in people with diabetes. Exercising helps to improve health and prevent diseases, and in the case of people with diabetes, there are many more reasons to exercise, such as improving blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity and insulin level control. Therefore, training should be treated as an essential factor in this condition along with diet and medication and in this article we will explain what simple exercises you can do for diabetes.
What simple exercises for diabetes can I do?
The answer to this question is very easy: all of them! Having diabetes does not prevent you from practicing any specific sport. Is recommended is to practice varied physical exercise for 30 minutes a day 3 times a week. Among all the varieties of activities that can be done, the following are the most suitable simple exercises for diabetes.
Aerobic exercises
Among all the possible exercises to choose from, the most suitable would be aerobic exercises, such as running, cycling, dancing or swimming. This is because they are low to moderate intensity activities, which makes them safe for people with diabetes. They train large muscle groups such as the legs or arms while burning little energy.
Running
Running will strengthen your bones and muscles, even if your first few runs feel like you’re out of breath. It will also help you gain more endurance, so the feeling of drowning will gradually pass.
Cycling
Riding a bike, whether it’s to work or just for a ride around the park, will help strengthen your knees and build leg muscles you didn’t even know you had.
Dancing
Who doesn’t want to learn to dance so they can show off? Well, this is your chance. Dancing is a complete physical exercise that helps you with coordination and balance at the same time that makes you have fun in company. What are you waiting for to try it?
Swimming
Water sports such as swimming, for example, provide a feeling of light weight, allowing us to move faster and more agile. In addition, without realizing it, you will burn more calories while training the majority of your body.
Weight-bearing exercises
If apart from burning fat you want to strengthen, you can also do exercises with weight, either your own body weight, or external. For these it is recommended that there is a recovery period after exercise of 48 hours and that the intensity is progressively increased, as they could cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
Squats
You don’t need to get into squats as we all know them. Other activities such as stair climbing work the same muscles as when we do squats. So, no more elevator.
Crunches
If you have back pain this exercise is probably for you. Doing crunches helps strengthen the back muscles, especially the mid and lower back.
Push-ups
Although it seems a basic exercise, the thousand possible variations that have the push-ups make this exercise one of the most complete. If we are starting out, it is advisable to perform wall push-ups or, if we prefer and we look more advanced, kneeling. As we get used to it, we can include other more complicated variations that require more strength.
Maintenance exercises
Exercises such as pilates or yoga will also be suitable for a person with diabetes to keep their joints, muscles and tendons in shape. Due to excess sugar, cells tend to degenerate these areas more quickly, so this exercises may help you with that.
Yoga
Thanks to practicing yoga you will start to feel better, not only physically, but also mentally. It will help you increase the quality of your sleep and decrease stress, while strengthening your body and increasing your flexibility.
Pilates
Like yoga, pilates will help you keep your joints in shape and correct your body posture, so you will avoid back pain.
¿Training? ¡Sure!
Contrary to what many people think, diabetes does not prevent you from working out. However, you must do it under the consent and supervision of your doctor, who will be in charge of adapting your diet and medications to the physical activities you are going to do.
In addition, you should monitor you blood sugar levels with applications such as Cori, which will allow you to know how your body responds to exercise and establish a safe calendar of activities.
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People with diabetes are especially vulnerable to the dangers of colds and the flu, but there are things you can do to control your symptoms and avoid getting sick in the first place. You may maintain your health even when you’re feeling under the weather by constantly monitoring your blood sugar levels, staying hydrated, getting enough of rest, and adhering to your diabetes management plan. Additionally, you may lower your risk of getting sick and safeguard yourself from any problems by maintaining proper cleanliness, being vaccinated, and generally maintaining good health. Make sure to discuss any worries you may have with your healthcare team for advice and support if you have diabetes and are worried about managing colds and the flu.
In addition, among the benefits of training with diabetes can be found:
- Reduction of the risk of cardiopathies.
- Increase in energy level.
- Improved coordination and endurance.
- Strengthening of muscles.
- Calorie burning, which helps achieve a healthy weight.
- Decrease in cholesterol levels.
- The improved control of insulin levels produced by the body and sensitivity to it.
According to the Official College of Pharmacists of Salamanca, exercising can also help prevent the complications caused by type 2 diabetes, such as cardiovascular diseases, which are caused by high weight or obesity.
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