This article has been authored by Dr. Nidhi Malhotra, who is an Endocrinologist at Jaypee Hospital Noida. She has done MBBS, MD (Medicine) & DNB in Endocrinology. To know more about Dr. Nidhi Malhotra or book an appointment, please call 0120 – 412 2222
Diabetes is a serious condition if not managed properly. The condition may cause the sufferer to develop other complications like heart diseases, stroke, and much more. However, understanding how the disease comes about makes it much easy for medical practitioners to devise ways to combat it. Over the years, these techniques have been put to the test and they have shown remarkable improvement in the quality of life diabetes patients have ended up living. Some of the techniques that can be employed to control the disease include sticking to an appropriate meal plan, weight control, taking prescribed medication, and most of all exercise.
Diabetes comes about when the blood sugar levels in an individual are too high. Glucose, blood sugar, levels in the blood are taken care of by a hormone called insulin. The hormone helps glucose to be absorbed into body cells which in effect gives them energy. Diabetes is classified into two based on how the body produces and utilizes insulin. Type 1 diabetes is the situation where the body does not make insulin. In the case of type 2 diabetes, the body does not make or use insulin as it is supposed to.
However, people with a low BMI who are suffering from diabetes are known to have lower insulin requirements in their bodies. Weight loss is therefore advocated for as it has a number of other numerous benefits like lowering the risk of stroke and heart diseases, and much more. This is where exercising as a diabetic person comes in. Engaging in exercising activities is known to be a key factor in ensuring weight loss for both the diabetic and those who are not. This ensures that a healthy weight is maintained. The taking of insulin, however, makes this attainment an uphill process.
For a diabetic person on insulin, when exercising the body burns through their blood sugar. After this occurs the insulin in the blood will keep on moving glucose into body cells which in effect leads to low blood sugar. This increases the time taken for the body to start burning fat as opposed that taken for people who are not suffering from diabetes. This difference is brought about by the injected insulin, which unlike naturally produced insulin cannot be taken away from the blood and has to be utilized. For a normal person, during exercise, the body stops the production of insulin, therefore, the depletion of glucose from the blood and muscle storage is depleted faster leading paving way for the burning of fat in the body.
It is possible for a diabetic to get the most out of exercise, but it will take a longer time to achieve a considerable loss of weight. The pace, however, could be hastened if a way is found to minimize the effects mentioned in the paragraph above. Nonetheless, regular exercise increases the metabolism in diabetic people as well as reduces their insulin resistance even before a significant loss in weight is achieved. The minimization of insulin resistance has numerous long-term benefits, however, the need to establish a new baseline for the body’s insulin needs arises. With lower insulin requirements, the body system will have too much insulin throughout if a new baseline is not established.
From the benefits highlighted, it can, therefore, be concluded that regular exercising for diabetic people is a good idea. This is despite the challenges that may arise from glucose management.
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