Effects of Exercise in Diabetes

Inactivity and excess caloric intake through diet can lead to various diseases like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. As diabetes is a lifestyle related disease, a good healthy diet and regular exercise can help you to avoid complications and also to maintain your body in a healthy state.

Diabetes:
Insulin is required for utilization of sugar in the body and to maintain sugar levels in blood within normal limits. In type 2 diabetes, body cannot properly use insulin due to resistance to insulin. Decrease action of insulin increases blood sugar levels, which results in diabetes and its complications.

How exercise helps in diabetes?
Regular physical activity helps a diabetic person in various ways. Physical activity in diabetes facilitates good health and helps the body to fight against the negative effects of diabetes. However, before starting any type of exercise program, you should consult with your physician.

Studies have shown that exercise can help increase the insulin sensitivity and efficiency of insulin with beneficial effects on level of sugar in the blood. It improves body composition, blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness, and increases sense of well-being and quality of life. It also decreases risk of diabetes-related complications.

The benefits of physical activity in diabetes also include weight control, better sleep, improved immune system, and a decrease risk of heart diseases. Clinical studies have shown that changes in the lifestyle like dietary modification, physical fitness and moderate or high levels of physical activity can prevent type 2 diabetes. So, 30 min/d of moderate or high level physical activity is an effective and safe way to control the blood sugar and to prevent diabetes.

Increase in blood sugar in diabetes is responsible for increase in free radical in body or oxidative stress. These free radicals cause damages to various organs like heart, kidney, nerves, eyes etc. leading to diabetes complications. A recent study published in Metabolism 2008 February, has shown that moderate intensity exercise in diabetes reduces the oxidative stress or free radicals in the body. The study was conducted for 12-month period. At the end of 12-month investigators found that aerobic exercise improved the blood sugar control and decreased the oxidative stress in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Aerobic exercise of mild to moderate intensity like walking and jogging for 10-30 min a day, 3-5 days a week can help the diabetic person to control his blood sugar. Mild intensity resistance training can be combined in elderly individuals with decreased muscle strength.

Lack of exercise affects the onset and disease progress in type 2 diabetic patients. So, in diabetes management, exercise is considered as a major cornerstone along with medications and diet. Cardiovascular equipment like treadmills and elliptical are the perfect fitness equipment for aerobic exercises. For more information on these cardiovascular equipments, please visit, exercise and fitness equipment.