Diabetes and Exercise: How Active Are You Really?
Most people don't get enough physical activity to help with diabetes management. Find out if you should increase your fitness level.
Exercise is a great tool in managing diabetes, not to mention its many other health and fitness benefits. If you have
type 2 diabetes or are at risk for it, an active lifestyle along with a healthy diet is the best way to decrease your insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is what causes sugar to build up in your blood, and exercise can help get that blood sugar out into your cells where your body can use it for energy. But how do you know if your lifestyle is
active enough?
"For diabetes management, you need to be getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week," says Angelo Papachristos, BScPT, an advance practice physiotherapist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and a clinical lecturer at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. "Unfortunately, less than 20 percent of people with diabetes are reaching that goal."
Assessing Your Activity Level
Most people underestimate how many calories they consume and overestimate how many they burn off. "A good level of physical activity is taking 10,000 steps per day," Papachristos says. That comes out to about five miles a day. “When people use a pedometer to measure their steps per day, most of them are shocked to find out that they’re only taking about 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day," he says. Another way to look at it is that you don't usually start burning fat until you've reached about 30 minutes of exercise.
A study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease aimed to determine whether people at high risk for type 2 diabetes would benefit from using a pedometer. They found that pedometers were in fact useful for setting goals and evaluating fitness. They also noted that some of the 74 participants found it hard to reach a goal of 10,000 steps a day. Still, more than one-third of the participants said that using a pedometer increased their level of exercise.
For managing diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week,
strength-training exercises two to three times a week, and stretching exercises with every workout. Are you meeting those goals? If not, here’s how.
Increasing Activity to Improve Your Fitness Level
"Even if you think you have an active lifestyle, you probably need to add exercise," Papachristos says. "Don't assume your daily activities are enough. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to work or park farther away. Find ways to add 20 minutes of walking every day.” Start by checking with your doctor to find out what level and types of exercise are safe for you.
Other tips to get you moving more include:
- Don't try to reach your fitness level all at once. "Set small goals for two to three months and big goals for the end of one year," Papachristos suggests. Think slow and steady.
- Use a pedometer to keep track of your steps. Try to add about 2,000 steps, which is about one mile, a day.
- For aerobic exercise, consider walking, dancing, swimming, or cycling.
- If you don't have time for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, break it up into 10-minute segments three times a day.
- Strength-training exercises can include free weights, elastic bands, and calisthenics. Talk to a personal trainer or try at-home workout videos if you’re not sure how to get started.
- For flexibility, do some gentle stretching for about 10 minutes before you start aerobic activity.
- Consider adding an exercise that incorporates stretching, moving, and strengthening, like yoga or Pilates, to your workout routine.
- Increase activity by walking with a friend, working in the garden, playing with the kids, or taking the dog for a run.
- Find an exercise you love. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you'll be to stick with it.
One final tip for exercising with diabetes is to
do it safely. "Make sure you have good athletic shoes to protect your feet, especially if you have diabetic neuropathy,” Papachristos says. “Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and monitor your blood sugar frequently, especially if you’re increasing your activity level."
Good diabetes management requires an active lifestyle. For most people, that means adding exercise to your day, but think gradual, safe, and enjoyable. If you’re struggling with diabetes management or maintaining an active lifestyle, ask your doctor to help you.
