Controlar la diabetes tipo 2 con ejercicio

Why exercise is important for diabetes

Effective management of type 2 Diabetes (T2D) goes beyond taking medicines - it's about diet, rest, lifestyle, monitoring, education, mental wellbeing, and exercise. And losing weight can play a key role in all those factors.

Losing even a small amount of weight - and keeping it off - will improve your blood sugar (glucose) control. Diabetes UK says that losing 15 kg (2 stone 4lbs) if you are overweight - as quickly as you can after your T2D diagnosis will make a substantial difference to your blood sugar level. It can even play a part in putting your T2D into remission.

As well as better blood sugar control research shows that combining exercise with a healthy diet and losing weight leads to lower risk of heart disease and can lower your dependence on medicines.

Dr Jobby John, PharmD, FACA, CEO of Nimbus Healthcare, Texas, USA, explains that physical activity makes your body's cells more sensitive to insulin, meaning the medicine you take - and your own insulin - can work better.

Regular activity helps your body make more effective use of the insulin it produces and improves your cholesterol levels. Keeping your blood sugar levels within a healthy range will prevent long-term complications such as nerve pain and kidney disease.

How does exercise help diabetes?

Having T2D means you have too much sugar in your blood, mainly down to insulin not working effectively - exercise can make it more effective. That means your cells become better at using sugar.

Around 8 out of 10 people with T2D will develop long-term complications - such as blocked arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. Exercise helps lower the risk of these issues happening.

Starting your exercise plan

Before you start a new exercise plan, you need to talk to your healthcare professional. They can check your health and monitor things like blood pressure. Set yourself realistic goals - start slowly and build up progressively the intensity and duration of your sessions.

Small changes to your routine will soon lead to improvements and incorporating more physical activity to your day will pay off in the long run.

John says: “Even a 15-minute walk after a meal can have a significant positive effect on blood sugar.”

Exercise and diabetes medicines

You must keep an eye on your food intake and activity levels - in relation to the medicines you are taking. If you become more active than usual, your blood sugar level might drop too low (hypoglycaemia).

If you are on medicines such as insulin or sulfonylureas, you need to be aware of how these affect your day-to-day life. If you take regular medicines and you know ahead of time that you will exercise that day, you might need to adjust your dosage as a result. Test your blood sugar levels before and after exercising to see how it affects them.

Take the time to see how your body responds to new forms of exercise and talk to your diabetes care team for help making decisions when it comes to your medicines.

What type of exercise?

It's important that you find a way to exercise that you enjoy.

Exercise classes can be a good option, or find a friend to go walking or running with. Having someone to exercise with will also make you more likely to keep on going. Aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate - or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. Ideally, spread this evenly over 4 to 5 days a week.

Also, add small wins whenever possible - walking to work, taking the stairs, or just doing stretches while watching TV.

Strength training is also a good addition on top of regular aerobic exercise. Your muscles are the biggest consumers of glucose, so it makes sense to develop those with some strength training. This could be lifting weights, or something as simple as carrying the shopping or digging in the garden.

If you were previously inactive, then start slowly - make small changes over a period of time. But remember, the combination of reducing calories from your diet and increasing your physical activity will provide you with the best results.