5 exercises you should be doing as a diabetic

Apart from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising is just one of the things you can do to keep your diabetes in check.

Sudhakar Jha | Updated: August 8, 2018 5:04 pm

If you are a diabetic, then exercising is a must for you as it decreases your stress level and in turn your blood glucose level too goes down. Thinking how much of exercise is too much? Well, the National Institute of Health recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise every week. And according to the American Diabetes Association, 30 minutes daily for 5 days a week is the ideal amount if you are a type 2 diabetic.

But when asked if you are doing enough, the answer is a big no. In fact, there have been many studies done and they have shown that only 39 per cent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes engage in physical activity. Other than a sound body and mind, exercising helps you lose weight and improves your balance as T2D patients are at higher risk of obesity. So here are the 5 exercises you should include in your daily routine.

Walking: Because it can be done anywhere and at any time. The most basic form of exercise is recommended to every T2D patient as brisk walking, that increases your heart rate is a good aerobic exercise. Studies too have shown positive effects on patients who walk for 150 minutes 3 days a week.

Tai chi: This Chinese form of exercise is done to relax the mind and body with slow and smooth body movements. And to give it more weightage, in 2009, researchers at the University of Florida studied 62 Korean women assigned to one of two groups—a control group and an exercise group–who were practicing Tai Chi. The group that completed tai chi sessions showed improvement in blood sugar levels.

Weight training: There are uncountable benefits of weight training for everyone and for people with type 2 diabetes, it helps in building muscle mass to manage blood sugar in a better way. Planning weight training or strength training for 2 to 3 times a week is considered ideal. Doing more of lifting movements that target major muscle groups should be a part of diabetes management.

Yoga: One of the most traditional forms of exercises, yoga gives your body balance, flexibility and strength. Yoga also reduces your stress level and boosts your nerve functioning to help you achieve mental peace and wellness. According to American Diabetic Association, yoga improves the blood sugar levels because of the improved muscle mass on your body. Also, a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health proved that yoga and exercising lessen the signs of depression in adults with T2D.

Swimming: This is another aerobic exercise where your muscles are relaxed, and your joints too don’t feel the exertion. For those who have T2D or are at the risk of developing it, there have been numerous studies done to prove that swimming improves cholesterol levels, burns calories and lowers the stress levels as well.

Published: August 8, 2018 4:32 pm | Updated:August 8, 2018 5:04 pm

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