Diabetes poses many risks. Whether a person already has diabetes, or they are prone to the disease, diabetes can cause an immense amount of problems. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which not only means a healthy diet, but maintaining a good exercise routine as well. However, a disease like diabetes can affect a lifestyle, and it can be hard to do exercise. The exercises that a diabetic should do are not difficult or strenuous, and do not take a lot of time. Experts suggest that just 30 minutes a day is enough to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, and help diabetics keep in shape so they can avoid further complications that come along with diabetes.
One good thing about the exercise routine that diabetics should take on is that it only takes 30 minutes, and it does not need to be continuous exercise. As long as a person can accumulate 30 minutes a day of exercise, it will benefit them greatly over time. Diabetics can break their exercise into increments. If there is a long lunch break at work, take 10-15 minutes to take a walk around the office, or outside if possible. As long as people stay moving, it will be beneficial to blood sugar levels, as well as overall health.
One thing that diabetics can do to increase activity is to substitute certain activities for a bit of exercise. Instead of taking the escalator, take the stairs. Instead of driving to a nearby location, walk there instead. Taking these small steps to increase daily activity can help lose weight over time, as well as keep blood sugar levels lower than they could be without exercise. By keeping up movement, diabetics are helping decrease the risks that come along with diabetes.
Setting a goal will help diabetics obtain realistic goals for themselves. Instead of looking at a long-term goal, make short term goals for yourself. Start out by setting a goal to exercise a certain number of days a week, and once that goal is obtained, make another goal. That way, feeling accomplished can make exercising more enjoyable and easier to do. Also, get a pedometer. It will help with goal setting, as well as show exactly how much has been accomplished in a day.
Always check with a doctor to see if exercise is right for you. With a disease like diabetes, there can be certain risks that are unknown to you. Make sure that it is safe to exercise before you start on any exercise routine. Also, be sure to check your blood sugar before and after exercise to see how the exercise routine is affecting the blood sugar level in your body. Also, carry a snack with you, because you could experience low blood sugar while exercising, and may need something to make you feel better.
The benefits of exercising for diabetics are numerous. It helps use insulin and control blood sugar levels, burns body fat, cuts bad cholesterol which is not good for blood sugar, as well as raises good cholesterol. By taking small steps each day, you can lower the risk of complications that come along with diabetes, resulting in a happier and healthier life.