Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus (DM), disease is now a worldwide community health problem, but if treated early can reduce the risks of progression to diabetic neuropathy or autonomic neuropathy. People with pre-diabetes, have impaired fasting glucose and also impaired glucose tolerance, thus are prone to diabetes and can fall victim to cardiovascular disease. DM is a metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to regulate the level of sugar, specifically glucose, in the blood, either by poor sensitivity to the protein insulin (type 2), or due to inadequate production of insulin by the pancreas (type 1).
In the past 20 years, the cases of diabetes have increased dramatically in many parts of the world. Diabetes itself is not responsible for death, but it is a major risk factor for other causes of death and has a high attributable burden of disability. Evidences strongly support that physiotherapists play a significant role in the prevention, treatment and management of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications.
This blog describes the benefits of exercises for diabetic patients and a few of them are mentioned below.
Exercise prescription and education, help patients participation improve and maintain physical well-being which has a significant impact on their activities of daily living and health-related quality of life.
Types of DM
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 1
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
- Gestational diabetes
Complication of DM
- Nervous system damage (neuropathy)
- Renal system damage (nephropathy)
- Eye damage
Benefits of Exercising:
Physiotherapy is an important part of diabetes management. Physiotherapist recommends exercises that cause muscles to use sugar for energy. With the help of regular exercises, the body uses insulin more efficiently. Increased activity and increasing exercise levels promote weight loss.
Exercises for Diabetic Patients:
The physiotherapist designs a structured exercise program according to the patient’s needs.
The three main types of exercise for diabetic patients are aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises. A diabetic person should start with aerobic exercises, then slowly progress to strengthening exercises and then progress to flexibility exercises, with two sessions of strength training per week.
Walking: Brisk walk of 30 minutes, 5 days a week is recommended. It is a simple and safe exercise and just requires a good pair of shoes and a safe place to walk.
Cycling: Cycling is a low-impact exercise for lower joint pain, a good exercise for diabetes.
Swimming: Aquatic exercise like swimming helps reduce the blood sugar level, also is a low-impact exercise for diabetes and it helps to relax the whole body and is a good workout for the heart, lungs, and muscles.
Aerobic exercises: Aerobic exercises like aerobic dance can also be done as a workout.
Weight training: Weight lifting and other strengthening activities help to build up muscle mass, and burn down calories. Strength training can also improve blood sugar control, thus suitable exercise for diabetes.
Resistance band exercise: Resistance band exercises can also be done by diabetic patients. With the help of simple weights or resistance bands, strengthening exercises can be done.
Calisthenics: Calisthenics is a type of strengthening exercise, where the patient’s own body weight is used to increase strength e.g squats, push ups, pull-ups lunges, and abdominal crunches.
Pilates: Pilates is a fitness program, recommended to improve core strength, coordination, and balance.
HIIT: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a suitable exercise for diabetic patients. By performing High-intensity interval training, leads to rapid improvement in glucose levels in diabetic patients.
Other exercises are like playing tennis, basketball, running, jogging, and these exercises engage all the muscles of the body and also help maintain blood sugar levels.
Benefits of Exercising:
- Lower blood sugar level quickly
- Enhance the body ability to use insulin
- Promotes weight management
- Increase a sense of well being
- Reduced the risk of other complication
