Exercise For Diabetics:

Obtaining A Healthy Lifestyle
To Control Blood Sugar Levels

The importance of exercise for diabetics has always been stressed as one of the key factors in controlling your blood glucose levels for the type II diabetic.

Exercise is also a good health maintenance factor for the control or prevention of gestational diabetes. But recently, the American Diabetes Assn and the American College of Sports Medicine have both issued new guidelines on how the right kind of exercise for diabetics can play a vital role in a reversal of many diabetic complications.

To date, most diabetics have always been informed the number one priority for their condition is movement. Any type of movement is better than nothing.

Although this is still true, current research has determined that a combination of moderate impact aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, walking the dog, a bicycle ride or even house cleaning and gardening) and resistance training (using light weights) is the best recipe for achieving the following results:

• you can delay or even prevent the onset of type II diabetes

• reduce the numbers of your blood lipid levels

• decrease your blood pressure to normal limits without the aid of medications

• prevent the onset of heart disease

• improve your daily energy levels

• reduces your chances of a heart attack or stroke

Any beginner to an exercise for diabetics program though must realize starting any new program at full speed ahead is not only dangerous for your health but will lead to sore muscles and all-over body aches and pains. Start slowly, adding more time and repetitions to your program as your body allows. Some easy ways to get a new program started is by adding a few of these into your daily routine:

• 30 minutes to a one hour walk on a treadmill in your own home

• water aerobics, swimming, yoga or tai chi at a supervised program

• use the arms of a stiff chair and get up and down out of the chair five times in a row. Keep working at this several times a day until you no longer have to use the arms to aid you in getting up.

• stand straight with your legs together and bend your knee and raise your leg up so the foot is resting near your other knee. Hold this position for 30 seconds, hands-free from using anything for support. Reverse legs and do it again with the other leg. Repeat this daily to improve your balance.

• walk a straight line (approximately 10 feet) placing your heel to your toe going straight forward. Try not to use your arms for balance. When you are good at it, reverse this and walk the same heel to toe method going straight backwards

• stand on your tippy toes, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat this 3 times in a row. Increase your time of holding on your tips of your toes and slowly stop using your arms for added stability

With practice, try to work up to 30 minute sessions at least four days of the week. Alternate the other days with resistance training using hand weights. At first, it is recommended you check with a local exercise trainer to assure proper technique to reduce the possibility of injury to your body.

Remember though, to reap the benefits you must follow through with a program on a continuous basis. Pick the types of activities you enjoy, grab a friend or buddy and change up your routine occasionally to prevent the two of you getting bored with your new exercise for diabetics routine.

Return to "Diabetic Exercise" from "Exercise For Diabetics"

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