If you have diabetes, exercise will help you lower blood sugar and lose weight. These tips will help you find a workout plan that works for you.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise helps your body use insulin better. It makes your heart and bones strong, relieves stress, improves blood circulation, and reduces your risk for heart disease by lowering blood glucose and blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.
Aiming for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week or a total of 150 minutes per week. Spread your activity out over at least 3 days during the week and try not to go more than 2 days in a row without exercising.
Below are some examples of aerobic activities:
- Brisk walking (outside or inside on a treadmill)
- Cycling (outside or stationary cycle inside)
- Dancing
- Swimming
- Jogging / running
Strength Training
Strength training (also called resistance training) makes your body more sensitive to insulin and can lower blood glucose. It helps to maintain and build strong muscles and bones, reducing your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn – even when your body is at rest. Preventing muscle loss by strength training is also the key to maintaining an independent lifestyle as you age. Doing some type of strength training at least 2 times per week in addition to aerobic activity.
Below are examples of strength training activities:
Weight machines or free weights at the gym
Using resistance bands
Lifting light weights or objects like canned goods or water bottles at home Calisthenics or exercises that use your own body weight to work your muscles (examples are pushups, sit ups, squats, lunges, wall-sits and planks) Classes that involve strength training. Other activities that build and keep muscle like heavy gardening