Everybody benefits from regular exercise. If you have diabetes or are at a risk of diabetes it plays an even more important role in keeping you healthy.
For a person with diabetes exercise helps:
- Insulin to work better, which will improve your diabetes management
You control your weight
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of heart disease
Reduce stress
Regular exercise is an important part of your diabetes management. If you are on insulin, it will help your insulin to work more efficiently and assist with your blood glucose control. However, if your diabetes is poorly controlled (i.e. fasting blood glucose levels greater than 14 mmol/L and urinary ketones) then it is best to avoid exercise until your blood glucose has settled. Exercise in these circumstances can actually elevate blood glucose and increase ketone production.
People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise regularly for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The reason for this is that muscles which are working, use more glucose than those that are resting. Muscle movement leads to greater sugar uptake by muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels. Exercise is the common term used to describe any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
