Last updated on January 5, 2022
Content By: Dr. Nikita Toshi BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review) & Dr. Ritu Budania MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
Last updated on January 5, 2022
“Movement is medicine” is a phrase that has been catching on a lot in recent times. Regardless of what the condition of your health is, it is likely that you too will benefit from exercise. But if you are diagnosed with something like diabetes mellitus, you know the battle is for the long haul. So, what is diabetes mellitus? It is a metabolic disorder that affects the way our body uses blood sugar. It is something that you have to fight with every day and make sure you come out on top. Doctors recommend exercise for diabetes patients because it offers a number of benefits when it comes to controlling blood sugar and improving overall health. Not just exercising but opting for an overall healthy lifestyle seems to help diabetes patients.
It is for this reason that walking has become such a popular form of exercise in middle-aged people. When you think about the importance of exercise and yoga, you might even find it funny to think of walking as an exercise. However, even something like walking as an exercise for diabetes patients is highly recommended as a way to control blood sugar. The key to control diabetes is putting consistent effort to keep high blood sugar at bay.
“Movement is medicine” is a phrase that has been catching on a lot in recent times. Regardless of what the condition of your health is, it is likely that you too will benefit from exercise. But if you are diagnosed with something like diabetes mellitus, you know the battle is for the long haul. So, what is diabetes mellitus? It is a metabolic disorder that affects the way our body uses blood sugar. It is something that you have to fight with every day and make sure you come out on top. Doctors recommend exercise for diabetes patients because it offers a number of benefits when it comes to controlling blood sugar and improving overall health. Not just exercising but opting for an overall healthy lifestyle seems to help diabetes patients.
It is for this reason that walking has become such a popular form of exercise in middle-aged people. When you think about the importance of exercise and yoga, you might even find it funny to think of walking as an exercise. However, even something like walking as an exercise for diabetes patients is highly recommended as a way to control blood sugar. The key to control diabetes is putting consistent effort to keep high blood sugar at bay.
Written by:
BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Review)
Reviewed by:
MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs
As we already know there are different types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 being the most common. There are also other forms of diabetes like diabetes due to an injury, inflammation or cancer of the pancreas, diabetes due to some genetic mutations, abnormal variation in the level of other hormones like glucagon, cortisol, etc which in turn affect blood sugar levels and gestational diabetes. What is gestational diabetes? It is a type of diabetes that is first observed in pregnant women who did not have diabetes before they were pregnant. In brief, people with type 1 diabetes cannot produce enough insulin due to the destruction of insulin-producing cells, so their blood sugar goes unchecked. For those with type 2 diabetes, their cells have developed insulin resistance or their insulin-producing cells are unable to produce enough insulin to cope with the amount of blood sugar.
The best exercise for diabetes patients is primarily one that is easy to start and maintain and suits your health. For instance, if you’re just a beginner to exercise or fitness, start with something simple like walking, jogging, yoga and resistance band training. These require little to no equipment and can be done anywhere, making it easy to exercise consistently, which is the key to success.
So how long should a person with diabetes exercise?
It is recommended that a person gets at least 150 minutes of exercise for diabetes mellitus every week. Think of it as 25 minutes a day with a Sunday holiday. Because you need a day of rest and leisure. You can choose to change the number of days and the length of each session with time to suit you. The health benefits of walking for 30 – 40 minutes a day can have a positive impact on sugar levels and many more aspects of your well being.
How frequently should a diabetic exercise?
It is best to consult a doctor before you decide on anything strenuous but try to maintain it somewhere between 3 – 6 sessions a week. The number of sessions can vary based on whether you are doing weight training for diabetes or something that gives you the benefits of cardio exercise, like dancing or playing a sport.
When is the best time of day to exercise?
The best time to exercise for diabetes patients is whenever you can be completely free of distractions and focus on getting a good workout.
Working out in the morning has the benefit of fulfilling that quota before anything else. Better weather and low crowds make the morning the best time to walk for diabetes, leaving you enough time to go about the rest of the day. It also offers the benefits of increased energy levels throughout the day and better sleep at night. Studies have also found that working out after fasting while you sleep also helps you burn more fat.
On the other hand, studies have suggested that our bodies perform better past noon. The body optimizes a number of things based on your activity through the day, increasing body temperature, enzyme activity and muscular function. For intense exercise, evenings are better since there will be plenty of time to rest.
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Before we get into the various types of exercises a diabetic can explore, let’s first understand how exercise helps in managing diabetes.
Exercise for diabetes type 2 patients is invaluable, since it increases the insulin sensitivity of the cells in the body, making insulin more effective. Muscles also use up glucose from the blood while they are being exercised whether or not you have any insulin. In both ways, exercise helps reduce your blood sugar.
Exercise for diabetes patients taking insulin or other blood sugar medication should be tailored around the diet plan they are following. Pre-workout meals or snacks adjusted for insulin intake are essential before exercise for diabetes type 1 patients especially.
Types of exercise for diabetes mellitus patients
If you are not already used to exercising, it is best to start with easy, accessible workouts and work your way up once you are comfortable. Weight training vs cardio? Yoga vs. Running? The correct choice is what you enjoy doing most and something that suits your body. It is best to consult your doctor, physiotherapist or a certified trainer to understand the correct type and way of performing exercises.
Cardio exercises
Cardio exercises are anything that gets your heart rate up over a period of time and are some of the best exercises that can help you lose weight. Exercise for diabetes patients like walking, running, cycling, swimming and other aerobic exercises all provide the benefits of cardio exercise.
HIIT (High-intensity interval training) is an advanced cardio exercise that cycles between multiple different exercises (known as circuits) with short intervals between them. HIIT can be quite strenuous, so make sure you start off slowly and build up over time. Some of the exercises you can expect in a HIIT circuit are push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, mountain climbers and on the spot running. This should be done under the guidance of a trained professional.
Functional Body Training is another form of cardio where you do exercises that work muscle groups in the body with an emphasis on functionality. What this means is that the exercises you do are focused on improving your ability to do regular, routine tasks. This kind of training improves your strength and balance in addition to your stamina and should be done under expert guidance.
Strength Training
Strength training has several benefits. If done correctly, 2 – 3 sessions of strength training every week is more than enough to take your fitness to the next level. Strength training can be done in a number of ways, the most popular of which is bodyweight training (pushups, squats, etc) and weight training for diabetes.
If you don’t like the idea of using weights, resistance bands are an amazing way to train strength. They are easy to carry and there are so many ways to use them. Both literally and figuratively, they are one of the most flexible exercise tools out there.
Flexibility
Flexibility elevates strength and endurance as well as improving balance. Stretching before a workout helps you avoid injury and improves the way your body moves. Over time, improved flexibility allows you to graduate to more difficult exercises. The importance of exercise and yoga lies in flexibility, balance and strength simultaneously.
In conclusion, weight training vs cardio for diabetes should ideally be thought of like weight training with cardio instead. Both are good forms of exercise that contribute meaningfully to our well-being.
Planning The Right Exercise Schedule For You With These 3 Useful Tips:
#1 Keep it simple and comfortable
How you exercise is up to you, you can choose from multiple categories if you prefer. The more important thing is the consistency of exercise for diabetes patients. Different exercises result in varying amounts of calorie burn, which is also influenced by each individual’s physical attributes. You can count your calories and the estimated calories burnt by each exercise to make a more precise workout and diabetes diet plan.
#2 Ask a professional
To plan a schedule, it is best to consult a professional who can help you understand what suits your personal preferences and goals. Consult a fitness trainer or a dietitian who will be able to personalize your training plan depending on the severity of your condition. They would also be able to identify some common mistakes that can ruin the effectiveness of your workout. However, if you want to make a plan on your own, you’ll need to assess your fitness to set realistic goals for yourself.
#3 Build yourself up brick by brick
Many people underestimate the difficulty of the exercises they take up, especially when it comes to pushups, squats and running. Assess yourself by jogging continuously for 1 minute or doing pushups and squats for 15 seconds continuously. Do these assessments after 20 – 30 minutes of walking and increase the duration just a tiny bit every day. Do not overexert yourself, make sure you can exercise comfortably.
While exercise for diabetes patients can be very effective to combat the two different types of diabetes, the benefits of exercise for someone with no health complications are also plenty. Exercise helps improve your mood, energy levels, brings better sleep and can be a lot of fun if you find an exercise that suits you.
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Insulin sensitivity is the opposite of insulin resistance, causing cells to respond to insulin more freely, thereby making better use of the insulin in the body. Think of it as a see-saw, with insulin resistance and sensitivity on opposite sides. When one rises, the other falls.
Exercise for diabetes type 2 is the best way to naturally increase your insulin sensitivity. Studies have shown that spending 60 minutes on the cycling machine at the gym can increase insulin sensitivity for 48 hours. The results vary from person to person but exercise definitely has a significant impact on insulin sensitivity.
What are some types of exercises that improve insulin sensitivity?
Studies have shown that HIIT workouts positively impact insulin sensitivity, which means your cells respond better to insulin. HIIT exercise for diabetes patients also reduces blood sugar during the course of exercise. If you have type 1 diabetes, you should consult a doctor to understand the relationship between exercise and insulin and how you should adjust your insulin intake.
Aerobic exercises for diabetes also boost the insulin sensitivity of your cells and help reduce the levels of blood sugar in your body. The combination can lead to low blood sugar levels, but on the flip side, it can also cause an excess of insulin in your bloodstream. Make sure you eat to complement your exercise.
What happens when people with diabetes over-exercise?
Exercise for diabetes patients allows muscles to absorb sugar from the blood without using insulin. In some cases, an increase in insulin sensitivity means that there will be more insulin in your blood than normal that can cause complications. Therefore, if you take insulin, it is important to take this into account and adjust your insulin intake accordingly.
For people with type 1 diabetes, checking blood sugar at regular intervals is an essential practice.
The reason for this is, the body has no way to regulate blood sugar on its own.
If your blood sugar is over 250 mg/dL before your workout, you will need to take a test to see if there are ketones in your blood or urine. If there are ketones, then exercising further can lead to a condition known as ketoacidosis, which can be dangerous. If there are no ketones or the amounts are negligible, then you can go ahead with your workout.
If your blood sugar levels are 100 mg/dL, you should eat some fast-acting carbohydrate foods like banana, peanut butter, grapes, dates, etc to bring your sugar levels up. Also make sure to monitor your blood sugar after exercise, to avoid blood sugar levels from being too low which can happen for up to two hours after your workout.
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Living with diabetes can be stressful, no doubt. Constantly keeping tabs on what you eat, remembering to take your insulin or medications on time, being bombarded with unsolicited advice from others, monitoring your sugar levels constantly can all take a toll on your mental health.
In the last unit, we took a look at how exercise helps in improving insulin sensitivity. In addition to this physical effect, did you know that exercise also helps in improving mental health? According to the American Psychological Association, exercise has been shown to help with relieving effects of stress, anxiety, depression and even severe mental health disorders like ADD, PTSD and trauma. Let’s now take a look at how exercise helps relieve some common mental health issues faced by diabetics.
How does exercise help in relieving stress and anxiety?
Have you ever noticed your body when you’re stressed? Excessive stress triggers your muscles to tighten up especially those muscles in your face, shoulders, neck, back and jaw also causing painful headaches. Stress has shown to also affect gut health and digestion – heartburn, chest tightness, indigestion, diarrhoea, stomach ache and frequent urination being some of the many symptoms.
Exercise helps break this cycle or chain reaction of events triggered by stress. It has been shown to reduce cortisol levels (or the stress hormone) and help boost immunity and general mood. Specific exercises like yoga for diabetes and tai-chi that focus on flexibility, breathing and mindfulness can help ease the built-up muscle tension caused by stress and improve oxygen flow and blood supply to the brain. This can help bring about a sense of calmness and also interrupt the flow of constant thoughts and worries running through your head.
‘The Exercise Effect’
When you exercise, your body produces endorphins which are powerful chemicals in the brain that trigger feelings of well-being, happiness and pleasure. People who do exercise have been shown to have improved lung health and lung function compared to those who don’t. Studies have shown that many people who incorporate at least 20 – 30 minutes of exercise every day sleep better and can think clearer during their waking hours. Exercise can also serve as a tool to help one relax and get away from the monotony of their day.
Exercise has also been shown to promote a positive body image and self-esteem in people, especially those struggling with obesity. While starting out can be challenging, the eventual transformational journey from fat to fit can help give people a sense of accomplishment, boost self-esteem and also motivate them to stay on track.
Apart from this, exercise can have other mental health benefits such as:
Improved focus and concentration – In addition to releasing endorphins and lowering cortisol levels, exercise has shown to affect the brain’s dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine levels all of which affect focus, attention and concentration. Therefore, consistent exercising can help in improving focus and attention spans over time.
Sharper memory and clearer thinking – In addition to improved sleep, exercise has been shown to promote relaxation and mindfulness helping you easily declutter your mind. Together, this can result in sharper memory levels and thinking abilities in those who exercise over those who don’t.
Increased energy levels – Exercise helps in conditioning your heart and lungs and also improving blood oxygen flow to all parts of your body. This triggers healthy metabolism and immunity and restores cell function in turn increasing your energy levels – not just physically but mentally as well.
Improved mental strength and resilience – Pushing past the initial challenges of a workout such as temporary muscle aches and pains, muscle soreness, panting, physical tiredness especially when you begin to exercise can give you a sense of achievement and accomplishment once you finally complete it. Unconsciously, mental strength and resilience are being that over time can translate into other areas of your life. You may even see yourself handling challenging work situations or household chores or emergency situations with ease due to the mental resilience that came from pushing yourself through a hard workout.
Many people often have a misconception when it comes to exercise that it needs to be for a fixed amount of time every day, needs to have certain elements to it at all times, needs to burn a certain amount of calories otherwise, it isn’t considered to be effective. Exercise need not be strenuous all the time. Even yoga or tai-chi for 15-20 minutes a day can do wonders for your mind and body. It also need not be monotonous. Pick a type of exercise that you like doing or even pick a variety. May you like playing badminton with your friends – that could be your exercise for the day. Maybe you like going for a run with your headphones on – make that a routine. Maybe you’re the kind of person who gets bored doing the same exercise every day. Run one day, swim another and cycle the third. As long as you get your body moving for at least 20 – 30 minutes a day, you will be reaping the physical and mental health benefits for the rest of your life.
| 8 Do’s and Don’ts While Exercising with Diabetes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOs | DON’TS | ||||||
| Keep yourself hydrated by sipping water at regular intervals. Don’t wait until you’re absolutely thirsty to have a drink. | Starve yourself before or after a workout. It is important to have a good diet that gives you enough nutrition and energy. Eating less than you need can cause you to lose muscle mass, which is counterproductive to exercise for diabetes patients. | ||||||
| Pace yourself during a workout. Try not to go all out in the first 5 or 10 minutes. This will help you conserve and maintain your energy throughout the session and prevent you from taking more breaks than required during the workout. | Forget some fast-acting carbohydrate foods handy in case your blood sugar falls too low. If you feel dizzy, nauseous or shaky during a workout, stop immediately. These are symptoms of low sugar and can be dangerous if left unmanaged. | ||||||
| Start slowly and build up your fitness. Many people who decide to start exercising make the mistake of overexerting themselves right at the start. | Start with a hard workout especially if you’re exercising for the first time. This can leave you discouraged and unmotivated and maybe also injured if the exercise is not done properly. | ||||||
| Warm-up your muscles and joints thoroughly before starting. Starting a high-intensity exercise without a proper warm-up can result in injury to the muscle group. | Continue exercising if you feel any pain. “No pain, no gain” sounds very powerful in theory but if you feel pain or any unusual discomfort when working out, it is best to stop or take a break until you feel normal again. | ||||||
| Work out regularly and aim to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. | Miss a workout for more than 2 days continuously. Starting back may become even more challenging than the first time. | ||||||
| Equip yourself properly before a workout, especially your feet. Make sure you have comfortable shoes and watch out for blisters and other signs of irritation. | Work out alone especially if you have type 1 diabetes. Make sure you exercise with a buddy or at least have someone nearby to help you just in case you need it. | ||||||
| Check your blood sugar levels before you start an exercise routine. If you have type 1 diabetes, check your levels before and after exercise in 1-hour intervals. | Work out if your blood sugar levels are higher than 250 mg/dL. High levels of blood sugar could mean you have ketones in your blood, which could lead to ketoacidosis after working out. Consult with your diabetologist for a modification in your treatment plan, start your exercise regimen once your sugar levels are in a safer range and your doctor permits it. | ||||||
| Choose exercises for diabetes patients that are easy to do and do not require complex equipment or the presence of other people. Jogging, resistance band training and walking for diabetes are good examples. | Be discouraged by a lack of results, you will get there if you keep going. | ||||||
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Walking is arguably the best exercise for diabetes patients. Unless you have a condition that makes it difficult to walk, all you need is a place to start and a place to go. During the lockdown, street walking or walking on your terrace has become the most popular exercise for diabetes control. A half an hour’s worth of rounds in your neighbourhood can do wonders to control your blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.
Being active every day is made easier if you decide on walking as your exercise of choice. The best time to walk for diabetes is after a quick meal or after tea. Walking and diabetes prevention go hand in hand and studies have shown that walking after a meal is very effective when it comes to reducing blood sugar. Get yourself some nice shoes, choose a place that looks nice even if you have to drive a bit to get there. Try to find some walking buddies who will help you pass the time but make sure to maintain social distancing and wear masks. If you like walking solo, get a pair of headphones and listen to your favourite songs while you walk but make sure you can hear sounds from around you as well. Another way to keep yourself walking is to avoid driving to places that are within walking distance.
Benefits of walking for diabetics:
Improved glucose levels
Exercise for diabetes patients allows the muscles to absorb blood sugar even without insulin, which prevents a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream. This, combined with increased insulin sensitivity helps reduce your blood glucose levels tremendously.
Enhanced cardiovascular system
Sustained physical activity over time is great for the cardiovascular system. After doing aerobic exercises for diabetes, your stamina will increase, allowing you to do more strenuous activity or increase your exercise duration. This positively impacts your blood sugar, metabolism and overall energy levels.
Weight control
Can exercise cure diabetes with weight control? Science says that maintaining an optimal weight seems to be the key to reversing diabetes, although that is still not considered a cure. Exercises that help with weight loss will help them reach their goal weight, especially if complemented with a good diet.
A stronger and faster metabolism
As you build more muscle in your body, the energy required to maintain it increases. This causes an increase in the basal metabolic rate, resulting in a greater passive calorie burn even while resting. This is part of the reason why you will feel more energetic and lively despite spending a lot of energy on exercise for diabetes patients.
How to walk during the lockdown/pandemic at home
If you’re stuck inside the house and have nowhere to walk, the best way to keep walking is to do it on the spot. You may be wondering, does walking at home really work? It does, and the best part is, you can stand in front of the TV and do your best walking imitation for the duration of one episode or while you listen to your favourite songs. If you’re unsure of how to do this, there are plenty of video guides on how to do brisk walking at home.
You can do this 30 minutes after each of your meals and you’re definitely going to feel great. Exercise for diabetes at home is non-negotiable even if the best you can do is walk from room to room or in one singular spot.
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Keeping track of your progress
If you’ve got a smartwatch that tracks your steps, make a record of every day and see how your progress is going. Weight loss or gain can be explained by many things but checking your waistline will tell you if you are losing fat or not. When you can fit into those old jeans, you’ll know you’ve made it.
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What is a sedentary lifestyle? When you move very little and are seated for a majority of the day, your lifestyle is said to be sedentary. In the 21st century and more so in this pandemic era, being seated for more than 8 hours is common. In the past, those working 8-hour desk jobs were considered to have a sedentary lifestyle.
Over the last two decades, the average person has spent more time being seated or in a situation where physical activity is limited. With the advent of technology and the internet, more and more jobs became sedentary and with more mechanization in labour-intensive jobs, a large part of the workforce has been drawn into desk jobs. Even among children, the transition from playing outside to TV and video games has led to a highly sedentary lifestyle.
What is a sedentary lifestyle leading us to? Now that movement and fitness are no longer things that many of us can expect to get from our professional lives, exercise is becoming a non-negotiable necessity.
What happens as a result of long periods of sedentary time?
Reduced movement means reduced calorie usage. Over time, this leads to more fat being built up in the body and eventually to obesity, which is one of the leading risk factors for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, joint pain and other health complications. Therefore, the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle should be taken seriously.
If a person with a sedentary lifestyle begins to develop insulin resistance, they will be headed straight for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis if they do not exercise. It is important to recognize this and start deploying sedentary lifestyle solutions to prevent complications.
Studies have linked sedentary lifestyle problems with a greater risk of diabetes and heart disease. The cardiovascular system is strengthened by regular movement and use, so long periods of inactivity can lead to CVD at a much younger age than it is normally associated with.
Sedentary lifestyle problems have also been linked with a risk of death at an earlier age. Combined with the other health complications, there is an adverse effect on your mental health and mood when you do not get enough exercise or sit still for too long every day.
Simple sedentary lifestyle solutions from healthcare professionals
Make sure to get a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise every week. Make it a part of your daily routine and stick to it.
Try to walk more. In between zoom calls, when you take bathroom breaks when you accomplish a task, etc. Find similar reasons to do some desk exercises or walk for 2 – 5 minutes to stretch your legs and counteract the sedentary time.
Every once in a while, instead of sitting in front of the tv or computer, try to get some physical activity instead. Physical activity 3 – 5 times a week goes a long way to counter the ill effects of sedentary behaviour.
Choose to walk or move when the option is available. Walking and diabetes prevention are closely related. Take the stairs instead of the lift and if you are stuck waiting for something, use the time to walk around.
Depending on your situation and your current physical state, set realistic goals for yourself that are easy to achieve. As you reach your goals, keep increasing the limits you place on yourself and reward yourself with something you like. New walking shoes, a nice sweatshirt, a cool looking bottle or a new pair of headphones with just the right amount of bass. The way you reward yourself leads you to better things and can elevate your lifestyle like nothing else. The feeling of improving yourself physically alone can be equally satisfying but make sure you can always take yourself to the next level.
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Can diabetes be cured forever?
Can exercise cure diabetes? Currently, diabetes is not a curable condition. However, there are several cases where people have reversed it without the help of medication through strict diet and exercise under the guidance of diabetologists and dieticians. In some of these cases, the insulin production of the body also improved but that is considered diabetes reversed or in remission. The key to reversing it appears to be weight loss and acting early after being diagnosed with diabetes.
How does exercise help if you are obese?
Exercise for diabetes patients boosts metabolism, builds muscle mass and improves energy levels. As you gain strength, you will gradually lose the fat build up and become fitter and more in control of your body. Since exercise for diabetes patients helps to control blood sugar, it will make it easier for you to shape your body as you see fit.
How to quickly lower blood sugar levels?
It is important to lower blood sugar levels safely. Exercise for diabetes patients can lower blood sugar dramatically but there are risks of low blood sugar levels and a chance of a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis if there are ketones in the blood. It is better to maintain blood sugar levels through doctor prescribed medicines, diet and exercise instead of one-time efforts.
Should I eat before exercising if I have diabetes?
Eat some healthy carbs like fruits before a workout if your blood sugar levels are 100 mg/dL or lower. If your levels are within the normal range, you can exercise even in a fasting state but be sure to check your blood sugar after exercise to look out for the chance of low blood sugar levels.
How to exercise during the lockdown and when at home?
No matter how much space you have available to you, there is definitely a way to exercise for diabetes at home even during the lockdown. On the spot exercises like jumping jacks, hopping and knee raise all give you the benefits of cardio exercise. You can try pushups or half pushups and squats for strength training. Learn how to do brisk walking at home and reap all the health benefits of walking. Does walking at home really work? You bet it does!
Is it ok to exercise if my sugar is above 250 mg/dl?
You will need to check to see if there are any ketones in your blood or urine. If there are ketones, it is dangerous to exercise for diabetes patients as it may lead to ketoacidosis, which can be dangerous. If your blood or urine test shows high ketones, then consult your doctor and get prompt treatment.
What should I do if my sugar is below 90 mg/dl before exercise?
Take 15 – 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate foods like peanut butter, banana, dates, fruits, etc to bring your sugar levels up. Working out with low blood sugar can be dangerous. Low blood sugar levels can cause dizziness, disorientation and blackouts, which can cause injury and great discomfort.
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