Manage your condition: Diabetes

Do you have diabetes? Or has your doctor told you that you have impaired glucose

tolerance? Either way it is very important that you manage this! Whether your doctor has prescribed you medication or not, changing your lifestyle will be the most important part of managing, living with or preventing diabetes.

TYPE 1 vs TYPE 2 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where your Beta cells in your pancreas stop

working therefore you are no longer producing insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is known as a lifestyle disease but can also be influenced by genetics. It is

where your insulin is ineffective or is not able to reach the cells that store your blood sugar.

With either type you get prolonged spikes in blood glucose after eating that severely

damages your blood vessels. And can cause life threatening complications if left unmanaged.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

If you have or you are at risk of type 2 diabetes there are serval things you can do.

1. Check in with your doctor or diabetes educator every 3 months and follow their advice on monitoring.

2. See a dietitian and get an individualised meal plan

3. Start an exercise plan with an exercise physiologist

TERMINOLOGY

Glucose is the form sugar takes in you blood and cells and is used to

produce energy to support your bodies systems.

Insulin is a hormone that enters the blood when there is an excess of

glucose detected. It attaches to the cells in the body and is like a key that opens a

door allowing excess glucose to enter and be safely stored for when it is needed.

EXERCISE FOR DIABETES

This is the question that is well argued in research. The best type of exercise is the

type your individual body can tolerate. Exercise should be maintainable and realistic to the individual. There is always optimal exercise but it's important to start slow and then build up to their goals.

Strength Exercise for Diabetes

Strength exercise is fantastic for managing your daily blood glucose and for ongoing

management. There is a natural mechanism that our bodies have in place to store away our

glucose when insulin is not available. It can increase glucose uptake for several hours after.

Worth doing for sure!

Cardio exercise for diabetes

Cardio Exercise is essential for keeping healthy and is also very beneficial for the

management of diabetes. It can help to resensitise the cells to insulin, manage weight,

improve blood pressure as well as giving you more energy to move throughout your day.

Lastly, a good flexibility routine such as regular yoga or a planned stretch routine

will keep you mobile and help you in your daily life.

STEPS TO START ACHIEVING THE ABOVE

1. Start by seeing an exercise physiologist who will assess you and take your specific

needs into account. Then you can start in a place that is suited to you! We can also

educate on what vitals to monitor e.g blood pressure and blood glucose, before

during and after exercise and will ensure they are at safe levels.

2. Start small with 10 to 15 minutes a day.

3. Increase your routine slowly so you don’t fall out of your routine.

4. Set goals that are realistic to your abilities, fitness and life schedule

5. Do things that you enjoy with people you enjoy doing them with!!!

Get in touch with us if you need help getting started. We are trained professionals and we are here for you!