6 Exercises for diabetics and tips for safe doing it

Implementing regular exercise is very important, especially for people with diabetes mellitus. Exercise can help keep blood sugar levels stable for people with diabetes. Although it is recommended, diabetics (diabetics) must adjust their health condition to the type of exercise or exercise and the intensity they do. What types of exercise and exercise should diabetics do?

The type of exercise recommended for diabetes

In addition to paying attention to food intake, exercise is also an important part of a healthy diabates lifestyle to help control blood sugar.

When muscles contract during exercise, this stimulates the mechanism for using sugar in the blood (glucose). This mechanism helps the body's cells to take up more glucose and use it for energy.

In addition, physical activity also helps people with diabetes to lose weight or maintain an ideal body weight. Especially for people who have type 2 diabetes and are at risk of obesity. Exercise is also known to prevent various types of dangerous diabetes complications.

The following types of exercise for diabetics are easy to do in your daily routine, such as:

1. Walk briskly

Fast walking can be done by everyone. This exercise is a form of aerobic exercise that is useful for increasing heart rate so that blood flow becomes smoother.

This sport is one of the most appropriate activities because diabetics can adjust the intensity according to their physical abilities and health conditions.

If the physical condition is strong enough, you can try to walk uphill or hiking .

Walking uphill for 3 km / hour can burn 240 calories in one hour. Therefore, this exercise is very suitable to help lose excess weight which can cause diabetes.

2. Diabetes exercise

Gymnastics focuses on adjusting physical movements to the rhythm that is played. This type of exercise is very good for diabetes people.

Diabetes exercise can help improve blood circulation in diabetics. Smooth blood circulation can increase metabolism in the body so that it helps insulin absorption.

Diabetes exercise is no different from most exercise. Each movement aims to stretch as well as relax muscles and joints.

Some diabetes exercises that can be tried include:

1. Warm up first by stretching both hands so that they are parallel to the shoulders forward and to the sides alternately. Repeat until the body feels warm and ready to enter the core movement.
2. While standing straight, step your feet forward with your left foot still in place.
3. Raise your right hand so that it is parallel to your shoulders and your left hand bends toward your chest. Repeat this movement with the left hand. Do it alternately for several times.
4. Make sure to do the cool down motion when you are done by relaxing your legs together. Bend your left leg forward while keeping your right leg straight. Repeat this movement in reverse on the other leg.

Diabetic foot gymnastics

Another type of exercise that is recommended for diabetics is foot exercises. Leg exercises can be done while standing, sitting, sleeping, and while relaxing while watching TV.

Follow these steps to try diabetic foot exercises:

1. Move your feet by alternately lifting and lowering both heels. Gymnastics movements can also be done by turning the ankles inward and outward.
2. Straighten your toes until they feel stretched.
3. Raise your leg until it forms a 90 degree angle with your body and then lower it. Do it alternately for both legs.

In addition, you can also try diabetes exercise by following the movements in the Tai Chi martial art that originated in China.

Unlike aggressive martial arts movements, tai chi moves are performed in a slow, smooth, and concentrated manner. In each session, tai chi exercise is also accompanied by breathing exercises. Therefore, exercise for diabetes can calm the body and mind.

This exercise is very beneficial for diabetics because it improves fitness and mental health. One of the most important benefits is controlling blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of nerve damage due to complications of diabetes.

3. Yoga

Yoga combines body movements that build flexibility, strength and balance.

The form of physical exercise in yoga helps people with diabetes reduce stress, improve nerve function, fight insulin resistance, and maintain blood sugar levels. This is because yoga is one of the sports for diabetes that can increase muscle mass and help manage stress.

Another plus, diabetics can do yoga exercises as often as possible according to their health conditions.

4. Cycling

Cycling is a form of aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart and improves lung function.

In addition, this exercise also increases blood flow to the legs and burns calories to maintain the weight of diabetics.

To avoid falls and injuries or bad weather, it is better if cycling is done using a stationary bicycle.

5. Weight training

This exercise is recommended because of its main benefit of increasing muscle mass. When muscle mass increases, it will be easier for diabetics to control blood sugar.

Weightlifting can help your body respond better to insulin. As a result, the body can improve the absorption and use of blood sugar optimally.

However, to do this one sport, diabetes sufferers must get permission from a doctor considering the risk of injury is quite large.

6. Swimming

This exercise is ideal for diabetics because it does not put pressure on the joints.

Swimming is easier to do than running because it can reduce excess blood flow to the small blood vessels. On the other hand, swimming actually trains both your upper and lower body muscles at the same time.

This is very useful for diabetics who experience diabetes symptoms such as tingling or numbness in the legs. Likewise with those who experience complications of diabetic neuropathy neuropathy.

This exercise for diabetes can reduce stress levels, lower cholesterol levels and burn 350-420 calories per hour. However, pay attention to personal safety from slipping or scratching because diabetes wounds will heal slowly and are susceptible to infection.

What diabetes patients need to pay attention to when exercising

The recommended length of time for physical activity for healthy people ages 18-64 according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is 150 minutes per week.

Diabetics can use these guidelines in making exercise plans, for example 3 times a week with a duration of 50 minutes per day or 5 times a week with a duration of 30 minutes per day.

To start training, you should start exercising for 10 minutes per session. Gradually, you can increase the length of time you exercise per session by 30 minutes. This will help you to adjust to yourself if you haven't done regular exercise for a long time.

Not only the type, duration, and intensity of exercise that need attention, diabetics need to keep blood sugar levels normal during exercise.

The reason is, muscles need more energy so that the body will release sugar reserves in the body. Meanwhile, the release of this sugar requires insulin.

In people with diabetes, impaired insulin work can inhibit the release of glucose. As a result, glucose remains in the blood and can cause high blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia.

Not only increasing, you need a lot of glucose when exercising can also reduce blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar that is too low or hypoglycemia can occur when the body uses up all of its stored sugar so that nothing is released as glucose when the muscles need it.

Tips for maintaining blood sugar levels during exercise for diabetes

Lack of insulin to help release sugar in the blood can also cause the body to use fat as fuel. When the body burns fat for fuel, substances called ketones are also produced.

Unfortunately, people with diabetes shouldn't exercise if they have high levels of ketones because they can make them sick. Therefore, maintaining normal blood sugar during exercise is very important for diabetics.

To maintain normal blood sugar so that sports activities continue to run well, you need to follow the following tips, namely:

1. Always check blood sugar levels before and after exercising

Every time you want and after exercise, diabetics must check their blood sugar levels. Do not start sports activities before your blood sugar level reaches 70 mg / dL or is above 250 mg / dL.

If the blood sugar before exercise is low and does not rise, it is better to consume 15 grams of carbohydrate foods. You can eat an orange, a piece of white bread, or an apple to balance blood sugar levels.

However, if your blood sugar levels are too high before exercise, it's a good idea to eat a protein-rich diet about an hour before you exercise.

Don't forget to continue to monitor your blood sugar levels during and after exercise to avoid blood sugar levels that spike or drop dramatically.

2. Take care of your diet

Try to eat 6 small meals throughout the day that contain carbohydrates, protein, and good fats. This method will help keep your blood sugar levels stable during exercise.

Also, avoid foods high in sugar and fat before exercising. The reason is that fatty foods will actually inhibit the absorption of sugar by the body.

You can follow a balanced diet for diabetes so that you have enough energy before, during and after exercise.

3. Inject insulin

Before exercising, people with type 1 diabetes need to use the correct dose of insulin.

If you use an insulin pump, make sure your exercise activities are not interrupted. Meanwhile, if you use injectable insulin, try not to inject parts of the body that are actively used for exercise, such as the legs.

This is because insulin will be absorbed too quickly. As a result, blood sugar can drop dramatically in a very fast time.

If you are exercising away from home, don't forget to bring all your personal needs such as diabetes medication and other diabetes medication needs. Pack it in a special bag so that it will be easy to find when needed.

4. Prepare snacks and drinking water

If you have diabetes and want to exercise, drink more water than usual. People with diabetes need lots of fluids in the body to avoid dehydration and help the kidneys not work too hard.

It's a good idea to drink one 500 ml bottle of water before exercising, then drink about a third of a glass of water every 15 minutes while you are physically active and exercising.

Apart from drinking water, preparing snacks during exercise is very important for diabetics. This snack is very useful for raising blood sugar if in the middle of exercise the levels drop dramatically.

Choose foods that are low on the glycemic index, such as soy, for example. Not only low glycemic, these foods also contain carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Foods with a low glycemic index do not raise blood sugar levels suddenly so they are safe for diabetics.

Apart from that, the fiber contained in soybeans also helps keep you fuller for longer.

5. Tell colleagues and coaches about your condition

Try to exercise with your closest friends. Make sure they know your condition. That way, if something happens you can anticipate and can ask for help.

Especially if you are on a fairly intense exercise program, don't hide your health condition from the trainer. This is so that he can adjust the portion of the exercise to your health condition.

In addition, this method is also done so that the coach or personal trainer also know the things you need to do before, during, and after exercising.

6. Control yourself

So that diabetics can exercise safely, exercise according to their respective abilities and physical conditions. Don't hesitate to stop exercising or take a break if you feel tired. Don't force yourself to stay active.

In addition, also check your blood sugar levels. If the number is below 100 mg / dL or is above 250 mg / dL, immediately stop physical activity because it can harm the body.

Finally, before starting exercise, diabetics should consult their doctor first. This will make it easier for people with diabetes to choose sports according to their condition.

In addition, the doctor will also assist patients in planning exercise time, whether it is the length of exercise, the type of exercise done, or the resting session for each exercise

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