Manage diabetes with the help of these 5 simple exercises

If you're living with diabetes, exercise should be a non-negotiable part of your life. Make note of these exercises to manage your condition.
how to control diabetes?
Those who exercise during their period may reap multiple benefits! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Aayushi Gupta Updated: 30 Oct 2023, 15:13 pm IST
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If you are suffering from diabetes, it is important to understand that dealing with it isn’t easy. It is one of the worst lifestyle disorders to have, and can take a toll on your overall health. But, did you know 70% of all diabetic cases can be prevented? Well, you need to manage metabolic health in order to control diabetes. Apart from what you eat, exercising is a powerful way to deal with diabetes.

Regular exercise can help improve insulin sensitivity, promote weight loss, improve blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of heart disease—thus allowing you to manage diabetes at home. So, if you stay fit and active throughout your life, you’ll be able to better control this condition. But the big question is what are the exercises that are best for diabetes?

Well, if you’re not sure where to begin, let us tell you about certain exercises that you can perform to control your diabetes:

1. Brisk walking

You don’t always need a gym to get moving. If you have a safe place to walk, you can start walking. The ideal workout for diabetic patients include aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, which are considered to be low-impact in nature. They are also beneficial in bringing down blood glucose levels. 

Because being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk of developing diabetes, it is important to practise brisk walking to help with weight loss.

exercises for diabetes
Brisk walking can be a great way to stay fit. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
2. Calisthenics

Calisthenics exercises don’t rely on anything, but a person’s own weight. These exercises enhance strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination without any equipment. These exercises incorporate a full-body movement, which aids in lowering your blood sugar levels. Common calisthenics exercises include:

  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Push-ups
  • Plank
  • Sit-ups
3. Cardio exercises

We all know cardio exercises are known to increase your heart rate, which in turn increases blood circulation (and insulin). It is this action that helps to control high glucose levels in your blood

Also, cardio exercises make diabetes management easier by managing sugar levels in the blood. It burns extra glucose and reduces resistance to insulin, both of which are vital for diabetes control. Here are some cardio exercises:

  • Burpees
  • Walking
  • Dancing
  • Swimming
  • Yoga
exercises for diabetes
Perform cardio exercises regularly to control your diabetes. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
4. Strength training exercises

Strength training or resistance training are designed to improve one’s strength and endurance. If you do this with weights or resistance bands, your blood sugar levels are going to be on track, which means your diabetes will stay in control, as per the Canadian Journal of Diabetes

For people with diabetes, strength training helps the body respond better to insulin, lose weight, lowers the risk of heart disease, and improves the way it uses blood sugar.

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5. Low-impact exercises

Besides all these workouts, diabetics must engage in low-impact exercises. So you can do these exercises as well:

  • Knee raises
  • Calf raises
  • Sit and stand
  • Step-ups
  • Heel taps
  • Hip abduction
  • Toe raises
Last word

To get started, talk to your doctor and keep checking your blood sugar levels every 30 minutes while exercising, especially if you’re trying any new activity or increasing the intensity or duration of your workout. Checking blood sugar will let you know if your levels are stable, rising, or falling and whether it’s safe to keep exercising. Also, check your blood sugar as soon as you finish exercising, and several times after you’re done.

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About the Author

Aayushi Gupta is a health writer with a special interest in trends related to diet, fitness, beauty and intimate health. With around 2 years of experience in the wellness industry, she is connected to leading experts and doctors to provide our readers with factually correct information. ...Read More

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