The One Reason Diabetics Must Exercise, and The One Kind of Exercise that Really Helps

There are many reasons all of us should exercise. People who are physically active age more slowly. They sleep more soundly, enjoy better sex lives, suffer less heartburn and constipation, and avoid injuries that can be caused by poor balance or weak muscles. They are more resistant to age-related memory loss and they usually have lower cholesterol levels.

 

Physical exercise is associated with lower risks of cholesterol-related heart disease. It may not help you lose weight (since fat tends to be replaced with muscle when you work out on a regular basis), but it certainly keeps you trimmer and more attractive. Everybody benefits from exercise, including diabetics.

 The physical activity that reliably lowers blood glucose levels is resistance exercise, stretching and compressing muscle fibers through the hard work of lifting or resisting weight.
 

Why resistance exercise is best for diabetics.

As we all know, "working out" by lifting weights or working with resistance exercise machines stresses muscles. Muscle fibers literally break down during exercise and have to be replaced. You can do this by doing just two to six repetitions of lifting or moving the heaviest weight you can stand, or twenty to fifty easy repetitions for building stamina.

There is just a brief window after your workout for getting the amino acids, glucose sugar, and water into tired muscles, and that's about an hour to two hours after your exercise session. Your muscles need amino acids to rebuild the proteins they need to reshape and enlarge themselves. They need both glucose and water to make glycogen, a back-up storage fuel that they can use during exercise when they can't get sugar out of the bloodstream fast enough. And they need water to use creatine, which won't fill out muscles unless it is also chemically combined with water.

For a short while after exercise, muscles are over 50 times more sensitive to insulin than they are at other times. They quickly pull glucose out of the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar levels far more than at any other time. In an hour or so, however, their response to insulin goes back to normal, and they do not lower bloodstream sugar levels for another 48 hours while they are rebuilding. That's why it's useful not to work out all your muscle groups on the same day, so you can get some sugar-lowering exercise each and every day, allowing some muscle groups to recover on the day you work out others.

What about aerobic exercise for diabetes?

Aerobic exercise can help anyone feel good, diabetics included. It's a great way to get fresh air, burn a few calories (that you can easily replace by jogging into the doughnut shop), and maybe get to know your neighbors. If you do many hours of aerobic exercise every day without indulging in additional food, you will activate fat-burning enzymes that will help you lose significant amounts of weight.

Losing weight almost always comes down to eating less. But neither losing weight nor doing aerobic exercise helps with the basic problem of diabetes, which is average blood sugar levels that are just too high. The kind of exercise that gets blood sugar levels down to normal, sometimes very quickly, is resistance exercise, preferably done at a gym.

Why diabetics should work out at the gym

No one has to go to a gym to get resistance exercise. Hauling a sofa up the stairs, for example, can actually lower blood sugars a lot more than going through a 20-minute routine on the machines at the gym.

The reason diabetics should work out in supervised facilities, however, is that sometimes exercise is too effective at lowering blood sugar levels. If you work out too hard, ignoring your body's signals to take your exercise more slowly, your blood sugar levels can go so low that you actually pass out. This is not something you want to happen while you are alone.

But is cardiovascular exercise never beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels?

If you have been checked out by your doctor and know you are safe to do cardiovascular exercise, there is one other way you can get your blood glucose levels down to normal without lifting weights. You can use a stationary bicycle, elliptical trainer, or treadmill to keep your diabetes in check if you work out hard enough to bring your pulse rate into optimum range.

The usual formula for computing your maximum pulse rate is to take your age away from 220. If you are 40 years old, your maximum pulse rate (theoretically, anyway) is 180. If you 60 years old, your maximum pulse rate is computed to be 160.

It's not necessary to try to work out at your maximum pulse rate. Usually your doctor will tell you to work out at 70-85% of your maximum pulse rate. If you are 60 years old, and your theoretical maximum pulse rate is 160, then you might shoot for a pulse rate of 120 (75% of 160) while you work out on a stationary bike or elliptical trainer.

You don't have to work so hard your tongue is hanging out to get your blood sugar levels down. Work out at the fastest rate you can stand without raising your pulse over your limit. This is to make sure you don't damage your heart while you are lowering your blood sugars.

You don't have to work out until you are exhausted, either. Even if you are diabetic, the total amount of sugar in your bloodstream at any given time is just a few teaspoons. If you look down at the meter on your cardiovascular exercise equipment and see you have burned 100 calories, then you have done as much exercise as will do your diabetes any good. You can exercise all you want or all your can stand, but if your objective is to get your blood sugar levels in better control, then just work out hard until you have burned about all the excess sugar your body has in circulation at the time. The drawback to this kind of exercise for diabetes is that sometimes the stress of working out hard and fast on a bike or elliptical trainer triggers the release of stress hormones which, ironically, raise blood sugar levels. Your liver can replace all the sugar you burn by working out hard doing cardiovascular exercise, or not. The effects are less predictable than they are for resistance exercise.

Short lst of exercises beneficial for individuals with diabetes 

1. Cycling: As mentioned above, a great aerobic exercise like cycling that helps improve cardiovascular fitness and lower blood sugar levels is always a good choice. It is gentle on the joints and can be done outdoors or using a stationary bike. Start with shorter rides and gradually increase duration and intensity.

2. Swimming: Swimming is a low-impact, full-body exercise that is easy on the joints. It helps improve cardiovascular fitness, builds strength, and enhances flexibility. Swimming can be particularly beneficial for individuals with joint pain or limited mobility.

3. Strength Training: Strength training exercises, such as weightlifting or resistance training, help build lean muscle mass and increase metabolism. It improves insulin sensitivity, aids in weight management, and enhances overall physical strength. Start with light weights or resistance bands and gradually increase intensity under proper guidance.

4. Yoga: Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation. It helps reduce stress, improve flexibility, and enhance overall well-being. Certain yoga poses and practices, such as deep breathing and relaxation techniques, can help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

 

Read More: Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults

 

The kind of exercise that is good for diabetics is "hard" exercise

The common principle in both kinds of exercise for diabetics is that diabetics have to work out hard to get a benefit--at least for their diabetes--from the time they spend on the jogging track or in the gym. Mild exercise can make you feel better and be good for you in other ways, but the exercise that helps prevent the symptoms of diabetes is vigorous, either fighting resistance or working out hard enough to get at least a little out of breath.

Finally the most beneficial exercise for individuals with diabetes may vary based on their individual preferences, fitness level, and existing medical conditions.