If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you’ve probably heard everyone tell you that exercise is one of the best ways to keep your blood sugar levels in control. And when one says exercise, most people think of walking, running or some other form of cardiovascular exercise.
While we aren’t discrediting the benefits of cardio, there’s more to it. So let’s break it down for you.
Cardiovascular exercises: Also called cardio, this type of exercise works on your heart and lungs by increasing their ability to function better. A common example of it is walking or jogging. Cardio is especially great for people with diabetes, because it helps increase your blood circulation and manage your blood sugar levels (by burning extra glucose and reducing your body’s resistance to insulin.)
Strength training or resistance training: Also called weight training, this form of exercise is important for people with diabetes. Resistance training is a form of exercise that works by using an external resistance to weights and acts on the major muscle groups of the body like your back, buttocks, arms and chest (depending on the type of resistance training you’re doing) . Common examples of strength training that you might have come across are weight lifting, working out with resistance bands, heavy gardening and even walking up stairs. And no, these muscle-building exercises are not meant only for bodybuilders!
What you need to know:
Strength training is a MUST in your exercise regimen, because a combination of both these forms of exercises works wonders for people with diabetes.
Here are some benefits of these muscle-building exercises:
The benefits of strength training include prevention, modification and improvement of disease conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, arthritis and especially diabetes. Because it is an easy and non-invasive treatment modality for the management of diabetes.
But if you thought you’d have to go a gym to strength train, nothing could be farther from the truth — all you really need is the right guidance and some space at home.
Sounds like something you want to try? Well, here are some tips to get your strength training routine started at home:
Tip 1: You need some weight, anything will do: You can improvise with the weights available at home, such as water bottles, sandbags, rice bags, and a backpack filled with heavy books/rice/sand etc. Get a little creative and you can find so many items that can be used for weight training!
Tip 2: Use your body weight to your advantage: The best form of resistance comes from your own body weight. In fact, research states that exercises that utilise your body weight (no equipment needed!) and involve multiple joints and muscles simultaneously are preferred over single-joint exercises with weights. This is because:
So, rest assured, all you need is some free space, a yoga mat and some creative DIY home weights. But most importantly, BYOB (Bring Your Own Body!)
Tip 3: Try these exercises:
Bodyweight exercises that can be performed at home:
Tip 4: The amount matters, so don’t go overboard:
So now we know that exercise is a part of treatment for diabetes. And just like any other medicine, it has its dosage too. ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) has issued guidelines for exercise dosage for adults. For the dosage of exercise,you should follow what is known as the FITT principle, which is as follows:
F: Frequency: How many times should I perform exercises?
An average adult should exercise for at least 150 minutes a week or 30-45 minutes, 4-5 days a week.
I: Intensity: How hard should I work out?
A moderate intensity is ideal (meaning 40-60% of maximal cardio capacity (VO2max). In other words, at a level of effort of 5 or 6 on a scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 is the level of effort of sitting, and 10 is maximal effort) or 50–70% of maximum heart rate.
T: Time: How long should I exercise in a day?
20-60 minutes of cardio exercise, and 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions of 8–10 exercises involving the major muscle groups.
T: Type: What kind of exercises should I perform?
Cardio exercise: A variety of modes of cardio exercise is recommended but any form (including brisk walking, swimming, cycling, Zumba dancing, outdoor sports etc) that uses large muscle groups and causes sustained increases in heart rate is ideal. Perform cardio exercise spread out at least 3 days during the week, with no more than two consecutive days in between.
Resistance exercise: Undertake resistance exercise at least twice weekly on nonconsecutive days, but more ideally 3 times a week, along with regular cardio exercise. Each session of resistance exercise should involve the major muscle groups (legs, hips, chest, back, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).
Precautions you should take:
Who should not exercise?
Certain circumstances under which exercises are a big no-no are as follows:
In the presence of certain conditions, you need to be evaluated by an expert before proceeding with exercises:
So, if you’re thinking of starting strength training as a part of your plan to get your diabetes under control, then before you start it is important to get expert guidance. And that’s where Diabefly Pro can help. With this program not only do you get expert guidance on your diet and mental health, but also have an expert physiotherapist who will design an exercise program that’s ideal and safe for you. Your physiotherapist will also help you set a goal and track your progress. So, what are you waiting for? Enrol in Diabefly Pro get yourself evaluated and get a customized exercise program to start towards a healthy life! Want to know more? Check us out at https://www.fitterfly.com/diabefly or give us a call at 022 48971077 (EXT 1).
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