While not many enjoy exercise, anyone can tell you that they know they should be doing it. In fact, you probably realize the importance of it yourself. In relation to how it affects your blood sugar levels, though, you may not realize the benefits so easily. There are several including the following. Improve Your Control
One area in which exercise can better your blood sugar levels is by giving you more control. As you exercise, your muscles burn sugar for the fuel to power your movements. In turn, this reduces the amount of blood sugar stored in your body.
The more that you do, and the more vigorous you exercise, the more benefit you will see in this regard. And, it will last longer the more you can do.
For those that have Type 2 Diabetes, exercise has an extra benefit in this manner. Because of the way that exercise works with your body during exercise, your body actually increases its sensitivity to insulin. That means that you will need less insulin to help pull sugars into your body’s cells. In this regard, it will help to lower your need for insulin provided through medications.
Improvements In Your Heart
An important factor in exercise is improving your risk factors for various health conditions. Those that suffer from diabetes or others with high blood sugar levels are at a doubled risk for heart problems. But, exercise can help to lower that.
Diabetics are much more likely to deal with heart conditions like heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and heart disease in general. All of these conditions can be improved with exercise because it:
· Improves the blood’s flow through your body.
· Increases your heart’s ability to pump often called its pumping power or pumping strength
· Improves the cholesterol levels
Exercise can improve your overall heart health on the right regimen.
Weight Management
Yet another way that exercise can improve your body’s function is through helping you to maintain a healthy weight. Many that suffer from diabetes or high blood sugar are overweight, which triggers high blood pressure, organ failure and heart conditions. Diabetes patients often suffer from many weight problems (some even have weight that is too low.)
Exercise helps your body to burn calories and therefore keeps them from being stored. The right type of exercise will burn through stored fat as well, which reduces your risks of all of these health conditions.
Exercise Tips
Remember these important tips for exercising.
· Warm up before you begin any exercise regimen. This means at least ten minutes of stretching or otherwise muscle warming exercises.
· Spend 5 to ten minutes walking or doing other low intensity exercises before moving into something larger.
· Spend 5 to ten minutes stretching your muscle groups.
· Your goal should be to work out at least three times per week for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, depending on your exercise tolerance level.
· Do a cool down which is a matter of repeating the 5 to ten minutes of stretching and slow walking after you have worked out.
It is also important for you to have the right shoes on while exercising. Many people that have high blood sugar levels also have problems with nerves and muscles in their legs and feet. If you have these conditions or you notice problems like blisters or sores on your feet, talk to your doctor about them before continuing.
It is also just as important to get enough fluid while exercising. You should drink enough water or other non sugar drink before, during and after exercise. Drinking a good amount of water will help to keep your body hydrated, something that is easily slipped when you are working out with any level of intensity.
As we mentioned, it is very important for you to monitor your blood sugar before, during and after your exercise regimen. While there are risks of exercising when you have a blood sugar that is too high, it is still beneficial to most people to exercise.
In many ways, the risks of not exercising are greater than the risks of a doctor approved exercise regimen.
