10 Important fitness rules for people with diabetes
Regular recreation is one of the most important things for good control of diabetes. But before you start exercising, it is very important to take all measures to protect your health.
Pay attention to the warning signals that your body sends.
1. Seek medical advice
If you have never exercised before then you should first consult your doctor. Foot Ulcers in Diabetics are common and therefore may prevent you from exercising in your desired manner without medical intervention. Only when your doctor explains all the precautions and methods of successful glycemic control in conditions of increased physical exertion, and propose appropriate forms of exercise, you can start with this regime. Of course, a fitness instructor should also make an assessment of your physical condition and range of activities that suits your condition. You may even want to try some of the workout exercises as detailed by TRX Training, such as exercise bands.
2. Protect your feet
Book a medical treatment to see if there are any potential problems with your feet that could endanger the start of a fitness regime. If necessary, obtain orthopedic shoes in order to manage the right balance of your body. Of course, sports shoes must be of the highest quality materials and absolutely comfortable – so you prevent injuries that can lead to infection.
3. Control the blood pressure
Physical activity can be a major challenge for people with diabetes, especially if they are prone to low or high blood pressure. Apart from the obvious risk of excessive physical exertion, a sudden change in body position can cause considerably extreme values when it comes to the blood pressure.
– Low blood pressure. Sudden movements and changes in body position, such as rising from the sitting or lying position can cause dizziness and loss of consciousness.
– High blood pressure. Certain types of exercise – such as running, and then doing push-ups – can cause a jump in the blood pressure making this exercise particularly risky. With cardiac examination can be accurately assessed whether there is a risk of hypertension or hypotension. If you are outside the range of normal values, be sure to purchase blood pressure monitor, which will have to be checked every day.
4. Pay attention to the blood sugar
A quick check of the blood sugar just before training will enable you to determine whether you are ready for physical activity, as well as how long your training and level of intensity can be. If the glucose levels are high, some exercises can lower it, especially in people who suffer from type 2 diabetes. However, physical activity can increase the risk of certain permanent health problems, which is why the consultation with a doctor for appropriate exercise regimen is mandatory. If glucose levels are low and there is a risk of hypoglycemia, it is best to eat something before exercise (foods containing complex carbohydrates), and always keep at hand a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets or fruit juice.
5. Do it moderately
Warming up the muscles before training, and gradually cooling the body after exercise is extremely important. Start your training with stretching exercises and gradually build up the intensity level, and finally perform the same, but in reverse order. This will allow for a gradual acceleration and deceleration of the pulse, and reduce the negative effect on blood glucose levels.
6. Measure yourself
With regular exercise, the extra pounds will begin to melt (provided that you eat correctly). In the beginning, if you notice a slight increase in weight, do not be discouraged – it’s probably a sign of muscle mass increase that will speed up the metabolism and the body will also burn more calories. Weight loss is likely to increase insulin sensitivity, which will have a positive effect on blood glucose levels. Therefore it will be necessary to correct the doses of insulin medications. This means that in the early stages of the fitness regime and the initial weight loss you will need to check your blood glucose more often.
7. Know your physical limitations
Any form of physical activity carries its own risks. However, in general, you should determine how much you can force yourself – based on the maximum allowable heart rate. The secure initial level is considered to be 64% of your maximum, with 85% of intensity exercise. So, to discover your initial level, subtract your age number from 220. Then multiply that number by the intensity of effort (starting from a base of 65%) you want to put in the exercises. This means that the 50-year-old (220 less 50 multiplied by 0.65) should achieve a maximum of 110 beats per minute.
8. Do not forget to breath
Retention of breath when performing exercise movements (e.g. lifting weights) is a typical mistake and can dramatically increase blood pressure. To avoid this, you need to exhale while lifting the weight and inhale when lowering the weight. Proper breathing during exercise is crucial, that is not only necessary to maintain a normal level of blood pressure but also enables a contraction of back muscles that maintain stability and balance.
9. Protect from the sun
Recreation in the open air (20 minutes each day) is a great way to raise the level of vitamin D in the body. In addition, this vitamin provides bone density, regulates blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes and reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes. However, keep in mind that the sun rays are safe only in the period of the day when the sun radiation is low, even in winter. In addition to the risk of the harmful effects of UV rays, heat may cause heat stroke, which negatively affects the level of glucose in the blood, and the blood pressure. People suffering from neuropathy are particularly sensitive to heat. So, the best time to go out of the house is a 10 and after 16 hours. Furthermore, it is important that you ensure that you get an ac repair company to sort out your AC system if you think it is not working properly or it has broken, this is so you can cool down your body even during the hottest days of the year.
10. Be prepared for the start
In order for the fitness to be useful, you need to know the ways how physical activity can affect you – both positive and negative. When the assessment of your health is done by your doctor and your physical abilities by your fitness instructor, it’s time to get the necessary technical aids:
– Blood glucose meter – Make sure to measure blood glucose levels before and after the training. Also, tell your instructor, as well as to some members of your fitness group what to do in case you experience severe hypoglycemia.
– Blood pressure meter– Measurement of your blood pressure before and after the training will point to you a potential problem situation and how to react. The values before exercise will serve as a basis for a possible exercise correction or their intensity.
– Pulse meter -This small device should be worn on the wrist, at any time, it is a heart rate indicator of whether to slow down the pace of exercise.
– Pedometers– Walk is definitely the most popular exercise, and experts say it is the most moderate forms of activity for diabetics. Registration of steps using pedometer will help you get a general recommendation, 10,000 steps a day.
–Fitness applications– These things are the ideal way to maintain physical fitness if you use your smartphone.
– Water– The physical activity accelerates excretion of fluids and leads to dehydration. In other words, excessive loss of fluid usually leads to hyperglycemia. Therefore, always drink plenty of water while exercising.
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