Diabetes Exercises, Diet and Complications

One should carefully monitor diabetes, particularly if he is on insulin or has relatively uncontrolled diabetes. Careful attention to symptoms, home glucose monitoring and other blood tests are essential in monitoring process.

Diabetes Exercises

Exercise is an important treatment in normalizing blood glucose level in type 2 diabetes as well as in type 1 diabetes. It is also important to know the type of exercise diabetics should undertake that involve minimizing the risks and at the same time deriving maximum benefits to normalize the blood sugar and giving good health. There are mainly three types of exercises – aerobic, anaerobic and stretching exercises.

Aerobic exercises – Aerobic exercises require increased amount of oxygen for prolonged period of time. They are beneficial to both the respiratory and circulatory systems of the body. This involves prolonged, repetitive use of large muscles of the body, which increase the body’s need of oxygen. These aerobic exercises are brisk or fast walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and skipping. These exercises help improve cardiovascular fitness.

Anaerobic exercises – Exercises which are of short duration like weight lifting and sprinting that is short distance but top speed running. They strengthen the muscles but are of little help to the cardiovascular system. These exercises are out of bounds for the people with diabetes, as many dangers are involved to them.

Stretching exercises – The stretching exercises are designed to strengthen the joints in the body and to improve their flexibility. They include the activities like yoga. They are useful as warming up or getting prepared for a more strenuous and prolonged period of exercise and also at the end as a cooling down exercise. They are also helpful to the joints and muscles of the body.

These exercises improve blood sugar regulation by increasing sensitivity to insulin, so that the body makes the optimum use of insulin. They also give an overall feeling of well being. The diabetic can select any of the following exercises involving aerobic activities like walking with moderate speed for about half an hour, jogging, if desired and possible, but one has to be cautious; cycling – stationary or outdoor and swimming.

While doing any of the above exercises, it is advisable to have 5 minutes of stretching exercises, both before the start of the exercise and at the end.

Diabetes Diet

Diet also has a significant role in controlling blood glucose level. The diabetic person should take proper consultation with his doctor and strictly follow the guidelines and meal plan suggested by him. Below are some common dietary guidelines that must be followed by every diabetic.

1. All simple, processed and concentrated carbohydrates and alcohol must be avoided.
2. Complex carbohydrate and high fiber foods should be stressed.
3. Minimize the intake of saturated fat.
4. Onion, garlic and legumes are beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

Diabetes Complications

The presence of excess sugar in the blood, over a period of time, damages all tissues in the blood, producing widespread manifestation with an increase in both morbidity and mortality. Complications may occur in any type of diabetes.

1. Metabolic disorders – Diabetic neuropathy and cataract
2. Microvascular diseases – Diabetic retinopathy; diabetic cardiomyopathy; skin disorders; diabetic nephropathy; increased bone fragility.
3. Macrovascular diseases – Coronary artery disease; peripheral vascular disease and cerebrovascular disease
4. Reduced resistance to infection – Sinus infection; infections of the skin; gingivitis and genitor-urinary tract infections
5. Multifarious problems – Mononeuritis and mononeuritis multiplex; diabetic foot disease.
6. Problems in pregnancy – Subfertility; stillbirth; miscarriage; neonatal death and congenital defects.

One can avoid these complications by the yearly (or half yearly) checkup of kidney, heart, eyes and feet by a qualified specialist so that these complications, if present, can be diagnosed at an early stage and efficiently treated before it becomes too late.

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