Diabetes - How It Is Related To Exercise?

Type 1 diabetes which requires insulin is genetic and starts early on in life. What has become an epidemic is the type 2 diabetes, which is completely lifestyle driven. With changing food patterns, there are processed and refined foods that are loaded with sugar and fats. These calories get converted into fat and are stored in the body, leading to excessive weight. The body s ability to metabolise these is also reduced, because of the sedentary lifestyles. These two have resulted in more and more people getting diabetic. Though a person may eat more, if he/she is exercising, the chances of diabetes can be controlled. The sedentary lifestyle is the more damaging of the two main reasons.

People with diabetes have to be definitely cautious, but more about not hurting or injuring themselves rather than the intensity of the workout. If age is not a deterrent, then any workout can be chosen based on preference. However, in the elderly, overzealous workout should be avoided. It is advisable to talk to your doctor to identify the right exercise regimen based on your overall health status.

Diabetes is not a single symptom but a complex set of issues. While high blood pressure and cholesterol levels are believed to contribute to diabetes, the reverse is also true. It becomes a vicious cycle with greater difficulty in controlling the symptoms with time. Diabetes affects almost all body systems and overall quality of life is affected. Exercise goes a long way in keeping a check on the blood sugar levels.

The correlation between exercise and diabetes is very close, where lack of exercise predisposes a person to develop diabetes. This sedentary lifestyle then causes overall debility which does not allow for adequate exercise. This further leads to weight gain, thereby making it a vicious cycle. Getting into a regular exercise regimen early on in life is one of the best ways to keep diabetes at bay.