Diabetes Relief And Prevention Through Exercise
Diabetes is something that can be treated and even prevented
very effectively with exercise. Most people are aware of the
many other benefits of exercise but the one that could have the
greatest impact on the health-care system is the prevention and
relief of this health problem.
Diabetes comes in two main types. These are type I and type II.
Type I occurs when your pancreas is producing too little insulin
or in some cases not producing any at all. If you already have
type I you of course have the daily task of injecting insulin
into your body in order to control your glucose levels.
This is not an enjoyable thing to do. If you currently do not
have type I diabetes then learn to prevent it through exercise
and healthy living. The alternative may be daily injections for
the rest of your life.
The second main type of diabetes is known as Type II. Many
people also refer to it as adult onset diabetes.
If you are suffering from the symptoms of Type II it's due to
you pancreas not being able to make enough insulin to control
glucose levels. It can also occur when your cells do not respond
properly to insulin.
This is commonly known as insulin resistance.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with insulin
resistance is through exercise and good nutritional habits. A
large number of people with this type of diabetes are
over-weight.
Therefore, weight control is a must. If you are not active,
over-eat and become obese, you have a very high risk of being
afflicted with type II. In most cases, simply adding in
exercise, including both weight training and cardiovascular
exercise, along with good eating habits is enough to prevent
type II diabetes.
Only in rare cases will this not work, and medication is needed.
With type II diabetes there are a number of other health
problems that can then occur, including; high cholesterol,
obesity, and hypertension. Exercise has a very positive effect
on Type II for improving insulin sensitivity.
Ninety percent of all people with this health problem actually
have type II, and exercise will help your body to process
glucose at a quicker rate, lowering any high blood sugar
symptoms you may have.
The intensity of your exercise session also plays a role. A more
intense exercise program will help your body to utilize glucose
quicker. However, high intensity does not mean faster. There is
a difference.
Obviously before beginning any type of exercise program,
regardless of what type of
diabetes you have, you should check with your doctor. There
are many differences between exercise for different types of
diabetes that you need to be aware of before starting.
There can be certain dangers resulting from injecting insulin
just before you begin to exercise. One situation that can occur
is the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during the exercise
session.
Here are some general rules to keep in mind when exercising if
you are type I: allow for enough rest between weight training
sets to avoid high blood pressure symptoms; avoid lifting heavy
weights or going to failure on each set; when doing cardio,
avoid high impact exercises such as running outside; always
ensure that you have carbohydrates in your system before you
start and a supply of them nearby as well.
You may begin to feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious or
become irritable if you allow your blood sugar levels to get too
low. Having a carbohydrate snack or drink nearby will help
prevent these symptoms very quickly.
Blood glucose analyzers are very effective tools to use when
exercising. You can test your blood sugar to ensure it's not at
a level below 80 - 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl.
During your post-exercise recovery period, around three to five
hours after you complete your exercise session, so-called
diabetic diets can be beneficial. Diabetic diets should consist
of a good amount of carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise has its greatest impact on people with type II diabetes
because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper
exercise and sound nutritional habits work considerably well for
type II diabetics.
Consistency is critical in the prevention of type II diabetes.
You can't expect to exercise now and then, and prevent it. You
need to make exercise part of your life if it's going to be
effective.