Mitigate the Effects of Diabetes With Movement

Exercise has been proven to decrease the risk of major diseases, fight off the effects of aging, keep metabolisms fast and foster a positive mental state. Regular movement also increases our overall enjoyment of life.

The positive effects of movement are just as beneficial when it comes to diabetes. Exercise can help prevent, fight off or mitigate the effects of the disease no matter where you are in life.

People fall into one of four diabetic categories: none, pre-diabetic, type 1 diabetic and type 2 diabetic. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that cannot be prevented. However, the other three categories are a sliding scale. Our diets and lifestyles play a direct role in our risk of developing diabetes. This risk can change over time, so it’s vital to make prehab efforts with your lifestyle choices, such as healthy eating and exercise. There are special exercise considerations when it comes to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but one of the best benefits exercise provides is glucose (sugar) control.

When we eat any food containing carbohydrates (e.g., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, simple sugars), our blood glucose levels elevate. As a response, our bodies naturally secrete insulin to pull the sugar in from our bloodstream and distribute it to our muscles and other organs. What’s really cool is that exercise can do the same thing as insulin. When our bodies recognize that we’re exercising, they pull sugar in from our bloodstream to our muscles to help our bodies continue to move from the energy these sugars provide.

Exercise not only helps with blood glucose control in the moment; it also helps our bodies sustain blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours post-exercise. This is a huge benefit for diabetics, both type 1 (cannot secrete insulin) and type 2 (insulin resistant), as it provides a natural remedy for glucose control. As we develop consistent exercise routines, these benefits can really add up for everyone — diabetics, pre-diabetics and those with normal resting blood glucose levels.

Below is a short list of the benefits of exercise over time:

• Improved blood glucose control
• Improved use of your body’s insulin (no or pre-diabetes)
• Blood pressure control and reduced hypertension risk
• Blood lipid improvements
• Reduced body fat and increased lean body mass
• Weight loss and improved weight maintenance
• Psychological and social well-being
• Delay or prevention of type 2 diabetes for those at risk

Now that you know the benefits exercise provides, it’s time to learn best practices for your exercise routine. First and foremost, if you are diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (or, in some situations, pre-diabetes), it’s important to seek medical clearance from a doctor and know your limitations. Below is a table of exercise recommendations for those with diabetes. These recommendations don’t change much for those without diabetes except that you’ll be able to increase the intensity of your exercise sessions more frequently.

There are also several special exercise considerations for diabetics, highlighted below.

• If cleared, high intensity interval and resistance training has been found to provide better blood glucose control than lower intensity training
  • Improves level of fitness and makes regular aerobic cardio training more effective
  • Increases in muscular strength and lean body mass
  • Can help lessen a rapid decline of blood glucose post-exercise (hypoglycemia)
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a risk of exercise for diabetics, so know the signs and symptoms so you can react quickly
  • Common symptoms: shakiness, weakness, abnormal sweating, nervousness, anxiety, tingling of the mouth and fingers, hunger
• Blood glucose monitoring is recommended when beginning an exercise program, especially for insulin users or those with a history of low blood glucose during exercise
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is also a risk due to vigorous activity, so type 1 diabetics may need low doses of supplemental insulin post-exercise
• For type 2 diabetics, allow no more than two consecutive days without cardio to prevent a period of excessive decline of insulin action
• The body’s ability to regulate temperature in hot and cold environments is impaired, so take extra precautions in hot or cold settings
• Be cautious of high impact movements that may dramatically elevate blood pressure, such as heavy weight lifting, jumping, sprinting and head-down activities

No matter your stage of life, you have the ability to mitigate the effects of diabetes or lower your risk by consistently moving every day.