For people with diabetes, The National Institutes of Health(NIH) recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. Exercise does improve diabetes control but a few things should be kept in mind.
Diabetics must exercise regualrly for better blood sugar control
Some of the exercise tips for diabetes are as follows:
- If you have Retinopathy, avoid heavy weight lifting. They can damage the fragile blood vessels in the eye.
- If you have peripheral neuropathy, choose a good, soft footwear.
- Start walking. This is the most popular exercise and one we highly recommend for people with diabetes. Thirty minutes to one hour of brisk walking, three times each week is a great, easy way to increase your physical activity.
- Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, make sure your blood sugar is less than 250 mg/dl before exercising. For people with Type 1 diabetes, exercising with a blood sugar higher than 250 mg/dl may cause ketoacidosis, which can be a life-threatening condition resulting from a lack of insulin in the blood.
- If you have a history of high cholesterol, and/or triglycerides, or heart attacks, have a cardiovascular examination before starting an exercise programme.
- If you have any ketones in urine, or you are experiencing any pain, tingling or numbness in your legs, do not exercise.
- Wear a medical alert ID band. If an emergency occurs, EMS will know how to treat you properly. Always carry a cell phone.
- If your medication is peaking, it’s better not to exercise.
- Be prepared for any episodes of low blood sugar. Have something available that can bring sugar levels up, such as hard candy, glucose tablets or juice.
- Avoid exercising in extremely hot or cold temperatures and wear proper shoes and socks to protect your feet.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
