Living with diabetes presents unique challenges when exercising, but with proper monitoring, running and exercises can help lower blood sugar levels and control weight, both critical for people with diabetes. An active lifestyle's accompanying benefits for people with diabetes include reducing the threat of heart disease, improving overall health and boosting self esteem.
Fundamentals
Diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough of the insulin hormone that processes glucose, a form of sugar, or is unable to use insulin properly, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. With diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells. High blood sugar levels can lead to heart disease, kidney damage and nerve damage.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body fails to produce insulin and is often congenital. Type 2 diabetes, which usually develops with age or obesity, means the body does not produce enough insulin, or else cells ignore it. Up to 95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2, according to the academy.
Benefits
Regular exercise, such as jogging, benefits people with diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels during a workout, helping control weight and reducing the threat of cardiovascular disease. Exercise programs have been shown to reduce or eliminate the need for medication in some people with Type 2 diabetes, according to the American Heart Association.
Exercise Programs
Everyone diagnosed with diabetes should consult with a physician before undertaking any exercise program. The most beneficial type of exercise will depend on age, weight, overall fitness and other health issues.
Most doctors recommend aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, for people with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Diabetes often leads to nerve problems in feet and legs so that high-impact exercise may need to be replaced with swimming, bicycling or chair exercises.
The Mayo Clinic recommends 2.5 hours of moderately intense exercise per week. The American Heart Association supports that level of exercise, but also promotes substituting 1.5 hours of vigorous exercise per week or a combination of the two durations.
Resistance training also has shown benefits for people with Type 2 diabetes, according to the heart association.
Getting Started
Exercise programs should be undertaken slowly, with a gradual increase in time and intensity, based on a physician's recommendations. Adequate warm-up, stretching and cool-down periods are critical for people with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Monitoring
Regular exercise makes the body use more insulin, and a long run or strenuous workout may lead to hypoglycemia---low blood sugar levels. The Mayo Clinic recommends monitoring blood glucose levels before, during and after exercise to understand how a workout affects the levels. Monitoring blood sugar levels is especially important for runners in very hot or very cold conditions as temperature variations can change how the body absorbs insulin, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Doctors recommend that people with diabetes keep at least 15 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate with them during exercise. That can include 2 to 5 glucose tablets, a half-cup of fruit juice or non-diet soda, or five to six pieces of hard candy.
Blood sugar levels should be tested every 30 minutes during a workout, especially for prolonged runs or when undertaking a new exercise program, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stop exercising if blood glucose levels drop or nervousness, shakiness and confusion develop.
Considerations
The potential for nerve damage from diabetes makes it essential that running shoes fit properly to avoid blisters that can lead to infection.
Dehydration affects blood sugar levels. People with diabetes should drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercise.
Blood sugar levels should be checked several times in the hours after a run because exercise taps reserve sugar stored in muscles and the liver. The body rebuilds those levels by taking sugar from the blood.
