
Exercise for Diabetes Control
By the dLife Editors
In case you haven’t heard: Exercise is really good for people with type 2 diabetes. It helps control blood sugar levels, increases energy levels, improves heart health, and promotes emotional well-being. Barring other medical complications, the majority of people with diabetes can and should exercise for diabetes control and for better overall health and well-being.
How does exercise lower blood sugar?
Exercise lowers blood sugar in two ways:
First, exercise increases insulin sensitivity. This means that your cells are better able to use available insulin to absorb sugar from the bloodstream to be used as energy for your body.
Second, exercise stimulates another mechanism that allows your muscles to absorb and use sugar for energy, even without insulin.
Not only does exercise lower blood sugar levels in the short term, but exercising over time also contributes to lower A1C levels over time.
How important is exercise?
Leading a sedentary (or inactive) lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes, and the high incidence of obesity and overweight among people with type 2 is also highly correlated with inactivity. Starting a workout program can lower body mass and consequently decrease the insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes; studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes who exercise regularly have better A1c profiles than those who don’t. Along with medical nutrition therapy, exercise is one of the first lines of defense in type 2 diabetes control.
In addition, exercise is a key tool in preventing one of the leading
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