Physical activity is also beneficial for diabetics, although not all sports are equally suitable for this condition. Before practicing any type of physical exercise, it is convenient to know the benefits it brings to diabetes and which are the most recommended.
Benefits of doing physical exercise for people with diabetes
Playing sports is always beneficial, and it is recommended for people of all ages and characteristics. However, not all sports are the same or suitable for 100% of people. In the case of diabetes, there are physical exercises that are more recommended than others, which we will talk about later. The benefits of doing so are multiple since the first of them is the improvement of insulin sensitivity. In addition, it will help us control weight, avoiding obesity.
Likewise, physical exercise releases endorphins, also known as hormones of happiness, which prevent stress, anxiety, and depression, which, in turn, delays cellular aging. In addition, in the case of people who suffer from diabetes, sport makes the insulin doses per day much lower, in addition to being able to also reduce the necessary doses of antidiabetic drugs that are taken orally.
Doing physical activity will maintain blood pressure, as well as cholesterol levels. In the same way, it will decrease the chances of us suffering from cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease. In turn, it increases the use of glucose by the muscle.
What are the most recommended sports in diabetes?
For all the reasons that we have given in the previous section and many more, we know that sport brings many benefits. However, the fact that it is healthy does not imply that we should not know the characteristics of each one and which ones are more suitable for each age or, in this case, for each pathology. Therefore, we want to show below the most recommended for diabetes.
Swim
Swimming is a very complete physical activity, which is why it brings so many benefits. There are many ways to do it depending on the physical condition of each person. Therefore, when we are not prepared for a great intensity, there are different ways to do aquaerobics, always better from the hand of an instructor.
Swimming helps reduce the risk of obesity or even to start exercising if we already suffer from it. In the case of diabetes, we must also know that swimming increases insulin sensitivity, which in turn causes glucose to decrease more easily. In addition, it helps circulation and increases the ability of muscle fibers to oxygenate.
Running
Running is also a great sport when you suffer from diabetes, although all kinds of exercises that we are going to start doing should be consulted with the doctor, especially if we have a pathology. In addition, it is much better if a professional guides us in our beginnings. Running will make our body control glucose to a greater extent since it reduces our resistance to insulin while increasing HDL, and lowering LDL and triglyceride levels. With this sport, it will also increase the glucose that our muscles are able to capture and, in turn, reduce our blood pressure.
Walk
When we have diabetes, it is important that we stay active. For this, simply walking is very useful. One option is to get off a few stops before the bus or try to use less transport to go to nearby places. The recommended daily minimum is 45 minutes. The ability of our muscles to store sugar will also increase just by walking a little each day.
Riding a bike
With diabetes, it is also very beneficial to ride a bike. Not only because it has a large caloric expenditure and helps control our weight, but also because it is a cardiovascular exercise that will lower our cholesterol. It has benefits similar to those we mentioned when we talked about running, even though the muscles that are trained are different. It will depend on the taste of each one.
Row
There is a high glucose level in diabetes, and active exercise helps keep it much more stable. To do this, rowing is one of the most complete exercises that we can recommend. In this case, the insulin doses that we will need will also be lower, and as in the rest of physical activities, we will control weight and blood glucose more easily. As in previous examples, we always recommend medical control and professional advice.
The diabetic should also do regular exercise to keep your body healthy and increase their quality of life. Rowing, walking, running, cycling or swimming are some of the most recommended and the most beneficial, which we have already mentioned.
