Exercise and Diabetes

Regular physical exercise is essential for optimal health. Exercise increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, which helps reduce blood sugar levels. Exercise can also help decrease blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Exercise may also help you maintain a healthy body weight, lose weight (if necessary), sleep better, and improve memory and mood.

All individuals with T2DM should be encouraged to engage in regular physical activity, reduce sedentary time, and break up sitting time with frequent activity breaks. Leisure time activities such as walking, swimming, gardening, jogging, and yoga can reduce HbA1c significantly. Any new physical activity needs to be introduced slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration once they get accustomed to the activity. To maintain better levels of insulin sensitivity, it is advised that these exercises take place on at least 3 days of the week and people should not wait more than 2 days between activity sessions.

Benefits of exercise

Exercise helps to improve mood and sleep, muscle strength and bone mass, heart and blood vessel health, lower blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol, and blood pressure, maintain or achieve your healthiest body weight, reduce stress and tension and improve mental health.

Precautions

  • Exercise helps muscles to burn more glucose, lowering blood glucose levels. It is critical for diabetics to monitor their blood glucose levels before, during, and after exercise.
  • Increasing the carbohydrate intake as needed based on the intensity, duration, and kind of exercise, and decreasing medication or insulin as needed after consulting with your doctor.
  • People with diabetes-related eye issues (severe retinopathy) may be recommended to avoid vigorous or high-impact activities, as they might raise blood pressure.
  • People with long-term diabetes or persistently high glucose levels are more likely to develop foot issues. Patients with nerve damage (called peripheral neuropathy), are more vulnerable to injury and diseases like foot ulcers.
  • Get examined by a foot specialist / endocrinologist on a regular basis to ensure that you are fit for the activities you intend to conduct. Avoid foot injuries and infections by wearing well-fitting socks and shoes, inspecting the feet daily having annual foot checks by a podiatrist, and reporting to the doctor for any changes to the feet, such as redness, swelling, or cuts or wounds as soon as you detect them.

A balanced diet is essential for diabetes patients. Diabetes is characterised by impaired carbohydrate and lipid metabolism; therefore, qualitative and quantitative manipulation of diet is helpful in the management of diabetes. The main aspect of a diabetic diet is not to elevate blood glucose levels.

  • Carbohydrate sources such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains with high fibre content should be included in the diet
  • Healthy fats, i.e., polyunsaturated fatty acids from olive oil and fatty fish, will balance the diet
  • The third and most important component is protein, foods rich in protein include chickpeas, kidney beans, sprouts; peas such as black-eyed or split peas; lentils such as brown, green, or yellow (toor dal, moong dal, masoor dal); soyabean.

However, it is important to note that foods with added sugar, fat, and salt should be avoided.

High-calorie foods such as whole milk, cream, soft drinks, etc. should be completely avoided.

  • A single diet plan cannot suit all individuals
  • In individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of >30 kg/m2, a low-carbohydrate diet is recommended
  • A high-protein diet helps maintain metabolic health, promote weight loss, and reduce carbohydrate intake; however, patients should consult their doctor before embarking on such a diet.

In addition to a healthy diet plan, regular physical exercise is an essential part of diabetes management. In addition to a balanced diet and physical activity, a diabetic individual should take medication regularly as prescribed by the doctor.