Type 2 Diabetes - Fighting the Disease With Exercise
Millions of people have Type 2 diabetes as a result of sitting around and never exercising. And many more people become at risk as they put on weight and do not get moving. This presents a choice. You can choose to fight Type 2 diabetes. Since it is a lifestyle disease, you have to decide on the best way to fight the disease. The alternatives are medicine, diet and exercise.
Exercise is an effective therapy for Type 2 diabetes, and it lowers complications of the disease. A recent study from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that a focus on exercise gave better results than trying to change exercise, diet and medication all at the same time.
The good news is that "it doesn't matter how overweight you are or how poor your current blood glucose is at the start of the studies, the improvements from exercise were equal across the board... the studies could mean that it is easier for people to focus on one thing at a time. It is easy for people to get overwhelmed when asked to make too many changes."
This was a review of over 100 other studies, and it found that in studies that focused on exercise only, blood glucose improved twice as much as compared to other studies that focused on exercise, diet and adherence to medication plans.
Now that we know that exercise helps, what are the specific requirements? Do you have to go to an expensive gym to get your exercise? Not at all. You merely want to add some physical activity to your daily schedule, and remember that some daily exercise will work wonders. Moderate exercise, that is, walking, has a good effect on diabetes. For example, a walk after lunch or before dinner will do you good. For your cardio health, very low levels of exercise work well. But for Type 2 diabetes a higher pace of exercise is significant because it will help even more.
To fight your diabetes, you first want to build up to 30 minutes every day of walking at a reasonably fast pace. You may have to start with only a few minutes at a slow pace, and very gradually build up, but you can get to 30 minutes per day and you will enjoy it while you go for your walks. Please note that the amount of exercise you do (how long you walk) is more important than the speed at which you walk. Even if you have to take three 10-minute walks instead of a single 30-minute walk, you will get a big improvement.
Don't forget to check in with your physician before you start. Exercise works so well that you have to pay careful attention to prevent over-medicating if you have been taking medicine for your diabetes.
Start with a short and fun walk, do the same distance every day for a few days to make sure you are not overdoing it. If you still feel good, no pain from the walking, then very gradually build up the distance and speed. Maybe a friend would enjoy walking with you, just remember to walk a bit faster for the best exercise.
If you are capable and really want to fight even more aggressively against Type 2 diabetes, you can move up to walking at an few degrees of incline, or move up to running. Having a treadmill at home is super convenient, but does cost more than just getting into your exercise shoes and walking outdoors. The most inexpensive way to start is to just get going with a daily walking program, and as you feel better and get in better shape, increase the activity level. As you start to enjoy you enjoy the 30 minutes a day program, you will have a better life, and you will have a longer life as you take back your health.
Dean Westby has been interested in health and fitness for a long time. You are invited to visit his website about leather walking shoes, and when you are ready for more vigorous running exercise you can visit his fitness equipment site about treadmills.
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