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Getting
enough exercise is important to anyone, but
it is especially important to people with
diabetes.
However, people with diabetes have to take
some important factors into consideration
when thinking about exercise. You should
talk with your doctor about what kind of
exercise you can do before attempting any
type of exercise program.
Your doctor will most likely
recommend aerobic exercise if
you have diabetes. If you
engage in aerobic exercise,
you will breathe harder than
normal. But, aerobic exercise
does more than increase your
breathing rate, it exercises
your heart. Aerobic exercise
includes walking, jogging,
step aerobics, fast dancing,
kickboxing and bicycling.
Aerobic exercise doesn't have to
mean fast and furious,
though. You are exercising aerobically,
if you increase your heart
rate just a bit. There is evidence
that even
moderate aerobic
activity sustained over a longer period of time is beneficial.
Diabetes sometimes affects
the
nerves in your feet so you don't feel
pressure and pain from
exercise. Diabetes can also
make your
feet and legs ache. In this case, you may
wish to
choose an exercise that will put
less stress on your feet. Some good choices that do not stress
the feet are swimming,
bicycling
and rowing. |
Regardless which
exercise
you
choose,
you need to take a few things into account:
Make sure your shoes fit you.
Shoes that do not fit can lead to injuries
that you may not
notice.
These small problems can turn
into much larger infections in anyone with
diabetes.
Check your
blood sugar level before and after
exercising.
Exercise changes the way your body uses the
sugar in your bloodstream.
Checking your blood sugar levels will tell
you if you need to have a snack to keep your
blood sugar at the right level during your
exercise. Your doctor can tell you what your
blood sugar levels should be before and
after exercise.
If you are taking insulin, you must be
particularly careful with balancing your
insulin dose with your exercise regime.
If you do not exercise at the same time
every day, you may need to vary your insulin
dose based upon your exercise schedule.
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Be prepared
for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Symptoms
include shakiness, change in heartbeat,
sweating more, feeling hungry or suddenly
feeling anxious.
A small amount of a sugary snack like juice
will
treat
hypoglycemia.
If you ever exercise alone or with
people who are not aware of your condition,
wear or carry identification that can alert
someone that you have diabetes.
This may be a necklace, a bracelet, a tag on
your shoe or a card you carry with you.
Drink water before, during and after
exercise. Keep hydrated. This is especially
true for people living in hot, humid
environments.
Be sure to warm up and cool down. Warm up
before aerobic
activity by walking for 5-10 minutes.
Cool down after you exercise the same way.
Choose an exercise you like to do. You are
more likely to maintain an exercise program
if you choose
an activity that you enjoy.
Derived from
a report issued by Carolina Care. |
