Diabetes & Exercise Planning Guide

Why is workout important in diabetes?

Two main factors are behind the need to maintain regular physical exercise:

  • Exercise helps with weight loss
  • Exercise is good for heart health, helping to prevent diabetes complications.

Physical activity also raises the use of glucose by muscles and so can lower blood glucose levels. Regular activity can also help reduce the amount of insulin needed to control blood sugar levels by improving the body’s insulin efficiency.

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What exercise is best with diabetes?

Aerobic Activities

Below are some examples of aerobic activities:

  • Brisk walking
  • Bicycling/Stationary cycling indoors
  • Dancing
  • Low-impact aerobics
  • Swimming or water aerobics
  • Playing tennis
  • Stair climbing
  • Jogging/Running
  • Hiking
  • Rowing
  • Ice-skating or roller-skating
  • Cross-country skiing
  • Moderate-to-heavy gardening

Strength Training

Below are examples of strength training activities:

Weight machines or free weights at the gym

Using resistance bands

Lifting light weights

Calisthenics

Body Weight Workout  (examples are push-ups, sit ups, squats, lunges, wall-sits and planks)