Diet and exercise are essential to weight loss for everyone, including people with type 2 diabetes. A diabetic's body does not produce any, or enough, insulin, which is responsible for transporting glucose into cells for use as energy. Exercise helps to reduce this blood glucose level, though you may require monitoring of blood sugar levels during exercise until you know how your body responds to the activity. Please speak with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is a matter of less calories in or more calories out. Your body requires a certain amount of calories every day and your doctor will be able to provide a caloric guideline for your goals. If you have type 2 diabetes, you should already be limiting the amount of sugar you eat. If not, reducing your intake of sugar is the first change you can make to decrease the amount of calories you take in. You can increase the amount of calories going out of your body through exercise. Weight loss takes time even with a healthy diet and exercise program, as 1 lb. is equal to an imbalance of 3,500 calories.
Cardiovascular Activity
Aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise not only strengthens your heart and lungs, it also burns calories, which leads to weight loss and helps to regulate blood sugar levels which may reduce your insulin requirement. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends 20 to 60 minutes of activity three to seven days per week. This activity should be of low to moderate intensity such as walking, cycling or swimming. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Diabetes Association recommend that a diabetic rest for no more than two days in between cardiovascular workouts. When considering your aerobic activity, choose one that you enjoy so that you will be consistent in your workout program.
Strength Training
Strength training builds muscle tissue and muscle tissue burns calories, which can lead to weight loss. ACE recommends choosing resistance exercises for all your major muscle groups such as your legs, back, chest and arms and performing these movements at least two days per week. Your muscles do require a day of rest in between strength-training workouts. Choose a weight amount that provides enough resistance so that your last repetition out of 10 to 15 is challenging. Strength training is an anaerobic exercise, which means your muscles perform the movements without oxygen. The fuel source for your strength-training workouts is glucose. To avoid hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, the University of New Mexico recommends that a diabetic eat a snack before a workout. This tip will also help you avoid overeating after a workout on an empty stomach, which would contribute to excess calories.
Circuit Training
If time is limited, you can combine your cardiovascular and strength training into one workout using circuit training. This workout program uses time intervals to alternate your aerobic and strength exercises. For example, walk for three minutes and then do push-ups for one minute. Another circuit could include cycling for two minutes and performing abdominal crunches for one minute. Circuit training keeps the heart rate elevated, burns calories and aids in increased insulin sensitivity. Carrying additional weight makes it more difficult for glucose to enter your cells. Through exercise programs such as circuit training, you can reduce your weight, which reduces this glucose resistance and helps your body work out more efficiently during your future exercise sessions.
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