Posted: Updated – 10:22AM, Monday – November 7
![Importance of exercise regime for checking diabetes](https://cdn.telanganatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Exercise.jpg)
New Delhi: Physical activity or regular exercise is a key factor in managing type 2 diabetes. Until recently, there have been few studies showing the importance of exercise for managing diabetes. However, now we can see that there is a plethora of studies highlighting the importance of exercise for effective blood sugar control.
Research shows that regular exercise can improve blood sugar control, prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin, and fight insulin resistance.
In addition, regular physical activity has positive effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular health, lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides increases healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthens muscles and bones, reduces anxiety, and improves your health overall health.
How does exercise affect blood sugar levels?
Early in exercise, glycogen stores are used as fuel. Additionally, when glycogen stores are depleted, muscle increases blood glucose uptake and free fatty acid release from adipose tissue.
When you do physical activity, muscles can use your blood sugar without insulin intervention.
What types of activities can help with diabetes management?
All forms of exercise, such as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or concurrently in a structured exercise regimen, have been shown to reduce HbA1c values in people with diabetes.
Both resistance training and aerobic exercise can help reduce insulin resistance, however, combining the two has proven to be more beneficial than either exercise alone. In a recent meta-analysis, aerobic, resistance, and combined exercise training were found to be associated with a 0.67% reduction in HbA1c after 12 weeks or more of training.
Therefore, people with diabetes need to maintain a healthy exercise pattern.
diabetes resistance training
70-80% of the glucose in the body goes into the muscles after a meal. Maintaining good muscle mass is essential for better glucose uptake. Therefore, it becomes very important to add resistance training to your exercise regimen.
Emerging research shows that resistance training has the ability to combat metabolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes and appears to be an effective measure to improve the lower metabolic risk factors and overall metabolic health of people with diabetes. In a meta-analysis of 10 including supervised resistance exercise studies, RT reduced HbA1c by 0.48%.
Resistance exercise further increases post-exercise excess oxygen consumption (EPOC). Post-exercise EPOC is related to the utilization of fat as fuel, which is beneficial for weight loss.
Resistance training appears to be a useful strategy for enhancing overall metabolic health and reducing metabolic risk factors in people with diabetes, as it appears to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.
Cardio training for diabetes
In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, moderate to high levels of aerobic exercise were significantly associated with lower cardiovascular and overall mortality risk.
In type 2 diabetes, therapy using aerobic exercise has dominated research on the effect of exercise on glycemic index. Aerobic exercise includes activities such as cycling, jogging, and walking, where large muscle groups move consistently and rhythmically. According to the latest ADA recommendations, personal aerobic exercise should ideally last at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 7 days a week.
Moderate to vigorous (65% to 90% of maximum heart rate) aerobic exercise training increases VO2max cardiac output, which is associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular and overall mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.
In people with type 2 diabetes, regular training reduces glycated hemoglobin and insulin resistance. Alternatively, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Aerobic exercise increases mitochondrial number, insulin sensitivity, oxidases, vascular compliance and reactivity, immune system activity, lung function, and cardiac output.
While cardio is good for them, it’s important to make sure you combine cardio and resistance training for better benefits.
What precautions should I take before exercising?
Checking your blood sugar before a workout can help you better understand your body and start taking the necessary precautions.
When your blood sugar is below 100 mg/dL, it may be too low to exercise safely. Before you start exercising, eat a small snack with 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates, such as fruit (bananas or apples—they digest quickly and give you better energy).
You can start when your blood sugar is 100 to 250 mg/dL. For most people, this is a safe blood sugar range before exercise. If you feel like you need extra energy, you can still eat fruit before your workout.
When your blood sugar is 250 mg/dL or higher, it is not safe to exercise due to high blood sugar. Talk to your doctor to control blood sugar, then follow their instructions before doing any activity, as exercise can sometimes raise blood sugar even higher.
Exercise plays a key role in preventing and treating insulin resistance, prediabetes, GDM, type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related health problems. Therefore, it is ideal to follow a regular exercise regimen to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and thus control diabetes.