The lives of 10 percent of Americans are impacted by diabetes. Alarmingly, type 2 diabetes diagnoses are accelerating quickly. Plus, nearly 40 percent of US adults are in the early stages of developing diabetes, which is sometimes referred to as “prediabetes.” Untreated diabetes is associated with a number of chronic health issues—comorbidities include kidney disease, cardiovascular issues, and nerve damage.
Untreated diabetes can be deadly. Fortunately, it is also relatively simple to manage if you are proactive about treating it. However, unfortunately the medical profession classifies diabetes as a lifestyle disorder. This means that healthcare providers treat the patient as if the factors that exacerbate the disease are within their control, even if that isn’t the case. The lifestyle changes necessary for a clinical improvement are therefore not covered by insurance.
Pharmacological interventions include drugs like insulin and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. There are also numerous surgical interventions possible. However, holistic interventions can improve diabetes symptoms and reduce the likelihood of complications. The most impactful approaches include eating a balanced and healthy diet, lowering stress, and engaging in routine physical exercise. Let’s explore the issue of exercise specifically as it pertains to diabetes:
Benefits of Exercise for Diabetes Management
Many diabetes complications become more likely when patients have excess body fat. Regular physical exercise can help individuals build muscle and reduce fat, thereby changing their body composition and reducing their risk. Some studies suggest that a 15 percent loss of body fat correlates with a higher rate of diabetes remission.
Exercise also helps regulate your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is one of the criteria healthcare providers use to diagnose diabetes. When the body’s response to insulin is insufficiently robust, it can cause elevated glucose levels. As a result of this “insulin resistance,” the body can’t produce enough insulin to process the glucose present in the bloodstream.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity can lower blood glucose levels long after the end of a workout. During that time, the body’s insulin sensitivity increases. Because exercise also improves the cardiovascular system, regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is also correlated with depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Exercise can release brain chemicals that produce dopamine and endorphins, which are conducive to a positive mood.
Types of Exercise for Diabetes Management
Your diabetes management plan will benefit no matter what type of physical activity you choose to engage in. However, some types are more effective than others. Low-intensity exercise can promote relaxation and reduce stress. Gentle stretching like yoga and tai chi helps increase flexibility and promote blood circulation.
Aerobic exercise, or cardio, strengthens your heart and lungs. Running, jumping rope, biking, and swimming are primarily aerobic in nature. Studies show you can achieve health benefits by doing just 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week.
Strength and resistance training focus on your non-heart muscles and bones. During a strength training session, weights or resistance is placed on the joints, ligaments, and tissues. Muscle fibers get small tears in them as a result. The body uses glucose to repair muscle tissue and make it stronger. This helps lower blood sugar levels.
Exercise as a Key Component of a Diabetes Management Plan
Physical activity is a cornerstone of any holistic diabetes management plan. Personal trainers may work with clients who have exercise as part of their treatment protocol. In these cases, trainers should work closely with the client’s healthcare provider.
The client, trainer, and primary doctor should all contribute to the plan’s goals and objectives. The trainer should also consider any limitations that the client may have and create a workout plan accordingly. To improve the client’s chances of success, trainers should also help clients set realistic and inspiring goals.
Exercise plans must include additional progress markers for diabetic clients. For example, monitoring glucose levels can help clients measure the impact of their efforts. If the goal is remission, trainers should help clients get their blood sugar levels below diabetic levels and maintain this level for at least 90 days.
Considerations for Managing Diabetes with Exercise
Clients with diabetes will also have specific exercise and training needs. For example, some types of high-intensity exercises can cause blood glucose levels to spike temporarily. For this reason, trainers should measure clients’ blood sugar levels at regular intervals during the session if they have diabetes. If blood levels are consistently high after working out, clients should consult with their primary care provider and adapt their treatment plan as necessary.
Clients with diabetes also need to take precautions against nerve damage, especially in their legs and eat. People with nerve damage may not notice pain, making them prone to getting injured and not noticing it. Clients should wear appropriate footwear for their type of exercise to promote circulation. Shoes must fit well to avoid problems like bunions or sores. Exercises that place a lot of weight on the feet might not be appropriate for clients with diabetes.
Final Thoughts
Personal trainers are not medical professionals, but they can play an important role in holistic diabetes management. Personal trainers help their clients to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives and exercise safely. These lessons are important to reducing complications, and may even push the disease into remission.