Diabetes and physical activity

Chronic diseases, just as its name implies, is related to some long-term habit which can influence our body gradually. In fact, by merely changing our daily routine a bit, we can make a big difference in reducing the occurrence of diseases. As known, for keeping away from unhealthy life and diseases, physical activity is undoubtedly the best way to follow. In this blog, I’ll mainly talk about the relationship between diabetes and physical activity.

(health information, 2010)

Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the

blood. (PubMed health, 2010) High blood pressure, family history, and obesity are all hidden causes of it. Fortunately, regular exercise helps with blood sugar control, weight loss, and high blood pressure. People with diabetes who exercise are less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke than those who do not exercise regularly.(PubMed health, 2010) We can also see it clearly from the diagram above that those who keep doing exercise have obvious decreased risk of developing diabetes.

Additionally, medical research is also found to be supportive. Early in 1991, a research carried out using questionnaires to examine patterns of physical activity and other personal characteristics in relation to the subsequent development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in 5990 male alumni of the University of Pennsylvania. The results display that increased physical activity is effective in preventing NIDDM, and the protective benefit is especially pronounced in persons at the highest risk for the disease. (Helmrich, 1991)

what type of exercise should we choose?

According to Canadian diabetes association, both aerobic and resistance exercise are important for people living with diabetes. For aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, running, swimming, dancing, and hockey, work your heart and lungs and carry oxygen to your muscles. For resistance exercises such as weight training, increase muscle strength and complement the benefits of aerobic exercise. If you decide to begin resistance exercise, you should first get some instruction from a qualified exercise specialist and start slowly. (Canadian diabetes association, 2011)

How much is enough?

Your goal should be to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous- intensity aerobic exercise each week, (e.g. 30 minutes, 5 days a week).You may have to start slowly, with as little as 5 to 10 minutes of exercise per day, gradually building up to your goal. (Canadian diabetes association, 2011)

Finally, do keep in mind that whenever you are prepared to have exercise, it must be under instruction. Because inappropriate exercise may not only not helping but can increase the danger risks.