5 Benefits of Exercise for Diabetics

Type 1 and 2 diabetes is a major deal in the United States. Statistics show that more than 14.6 million people are diagnosed with diabetes each year. There are many ways to fight this disease, however, many people simply give up. Exercise has been proven to treat diabetes along with proper diet. Here are a few benefits of exercise for anyone living with diabetes.

1) Exercise increases insulin sensitivity.

The big problem for Type 2 diabetics is insulin insensitivity. By exercising you can improve how well your insulin works. This will ultimately help you to control your blood glucose levels.

Remember, there are 2 types of diabetes. Type I diabetes is when the pancreas makes too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control their glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels. It can also mean that the cells are not responding to the insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is commonly known as insulin resistance.

The risk factors for type 2 diabetes include a feeling of laziness, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Just by being lazy the person will have a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to type 2 diabetes. When a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, they are told to exercise and diet in order to help with their insulin resistance.

A few things they should follow when dieting is to eat a low-fat diet and limit calories from saturated fats. The recommendations also include eating complete sources of protein, and limiting calories from protein. It is worth noting that protein plays an added role in a diabetic diet. Protein can actually slowly transform into glucose. Consuming appropriate amounts of protein can help a person who has either type I or 2 diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels.

If dieting and exercise does not work, then medication will be prescribed by the doctor.

2) Exercising will improve your cholesterol levels.