Diabetes mellitus is the formal name for diabetes, a disorder characterized by the inability to properly process a substance called glucose, which your body uses for energy. Some people are born with diabetes, while others acquire it at some later point in life. If you exercise regularly, you can improve your glucose control, lose weight and lower your risks for diabetes-related heart disease and other problems.
Diabetes Basics
When you eat, most of your food is digested in your small intestine and absorbed into your bloodstream in the form of glucose, also called blood sugar. In order to transfer this glucose to your cells' interiors, your body relies on a hormone called insulin, which is produced in your pancreas. People who have type 1 diabetes don't produce enough insulin for this job, while people with type 2 diabetes have an abnormally high resistance to insulin's effects. If you habitually have too much glucose in your bloodstream, you can eventually develop a number of serious health complications, including heart disease, nerve damage, kidney damage and blindness.
Exercise Effects
Exercise improves your glucose control by making your body burn through glucose for fuel. Physical activity also mimics the glucose-controlling effects of insulin and improves the transfer of glucose from your bloodstream to your cells. In addition, if you increase the size of your muscles, you can permanently increase your body's use of its glucose supply. These improvements to your glucose control can diminish your risks for the classic health complications associated with diabetes.
Additional known benefits of exercise for diabetics include lower blood pressure, reduced levels of body fat, lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, higher levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol, improved joint health, lowered stress levels and improved levels of energy and vitality.
Precautions
Diabetics must typically take certain precautions to protect their health during exercise. First, discuss your exercise plans with your doctor and get a physical examination. Among other things, your doctor can help you determine the best time to exercise, recommend specific exercises to fit your health and fitness circumstances, make necessary adjustments to your diabetes medications and predict the effects of exercise on your blood glucose levels. Your doctor will also give you specific guidelines on checking your glucose before and after you exercise.
Activities and Considerations
Activities that form a good foundation for a diabetes control program include aerobic exercises such as bicycling and brisk walking, strength training exercises such as weightlifting and calisthenics, and various forms of stretching. Your doctor can help you determine specific amounts of these exercises that work best for you, in addition to steering you away from exercises that might harm your health. If you are in danger of developing a case of type 2 diabetes, participation in a regular exercise program can help you avoid any escalation of your condition.
References
- American Heart Association: Diabetes Mellitus
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Diabetes and Exercise; October 2010
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; What I Need to Know About Physical Activity and Diabetes; March 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Basics About Diabetes; January 27, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Diabetes and Exercise; When to Monitor Your Blood Sugar; Mayo Clinic Staff; February 2011
- American Council on Exercise: Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes
