Diabetic Exercise

Exercise is the second step helping tool to control Diabetes, and plays an important role to maintain good diabetes control as well as to push back different grade of Diabetic complications. Modern researches establish this fact by their module experiments prooves the ancient aspect on it. In diabetes exercise helps to

• Increases the number of Insulin receptors as well as the sensitivity of the same.
• Increases the promotion of delivery of oxygen to the peripheral tissues
• Improves Glucose Tolerance in NIDDM & IDDM, therefore reduces the insulin requirement in IDDM.
• Help to prevent atherosclerosis by reducing the cholesterol, Triglyceride LDL etc.
• Maintain body weight, blood pressure & muscular tone.
• Increases the threshold of Heart, Lung, Kidney, Liver etc. by which they can bear more stress of diabetes and reduces the clinical complaints & increases feeling of well being.
• Help to decrease Insulin resistance.
• Reduces fat over tummy and help to maintain hip-waist ratio, which reduces the risks of Diabetic complications.

Due to these causes every Diabetologist stress to perform regular exercise and every diabetic should co-operate to the Doctor. But in regular practice Diabetic patient avoid exercise due to their following whims-

• Why exercise required, while I am taking regular medication.
• Getting up early morning is difficult.
• I have very tight business schedule, I can’t spare time for exercise.
• After domestic work exercise is not required.
• Age didn’t permit for exercise.
• Some Diabetics escapes exercise due to weather problems.
• Some patients avoid exercise due to social restrictions or questionnaire.

But all Diabetics must know exercise is the only method to burn extra calories & maintain blood sugar level. Brisk walk is the choice of exercise but you can select any Aerobic exercise, It should be regular and according to an individual capacity & Age (and disability if any).

Precautions in exercise

• Exercise should be started after warm up, should not be vigorous by start.
• Insulin Dependent (Diabetes Mellitus) should not perform vigorous exercise , when the effect of insulin is on peak. (after 1 ½ - 2 hr. of injection)
• If a person having Diabetes & Hypertension/cardiac ailments should perform exercise slowly, deep breathing is best for them. But regular consultation is required.
• Walking is the best exercise in Female Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Contra indication - In high fever, any severe infection, High blood sugar level.