Strength Training to Fight Diabetes?
If you are plagued by diabetes you know what a constant battle it can be. One way to help you manage it might be strength training. Well, let’s check out how diabetes and exercise are linked!
Your ally as you fight diabetes
If you are among those who have to spend the rest of their lives accompanied by diabetes, you ought to know the importance of aerobics training for your body.
If it is walking, running or swimming, it is a good way to regulate your blood glucose.
Also, while doing any of the above-mentioned activities, you tend to sweat and lose weight in the process, and we all know that additional weight and diabetes are not best friends. But, did it ever occur to you that there might be a better way of regulating your blood glucose level, or a better way of losing weight?
We are talking about weightlifting, and here are several reasons why weightlifting is better than aerobics in the long run.
Speed up your metabolism
Everyone with diabetes knows that a fast metabolism regulates the sugar level in the blood, takes care of nausea and all the other side effects of diabetes.
What most people don’t know is that weightlifting improves one’s metabolism drastically. So in order to control your glucose and at the same time get in a good shape, you have to start lifting right away.
It burns far more than calories, and a certain rule applies: the more muscle you have, the more fat you will burn.
By building up your muscles, you will regulate your body’s sensitivity to insulin; the bigger your muscle mass, the less insulin your body needs, and when you need less insulin, it is much easier to naturally manage stable blood sugars.
All that is left is to combine this workout with a stable diet, and your diabetes will be fully under control.
Be advised that all cardiovascular activities tend to lower the sugar level in the blood while being performed, and stabilize it after the exercise is done, while on the other hand performing resistance training will raise your sugar level during the exercise and stabilize it in the next 24 hours.
So when you start exercising, be sure to observe your body’s reaction and act accordingly in order to avoid hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Set your training program
Before starting, it is wise to consult with your doctor. Ask if there is anything you should avoid.
Once you get a clearance, you`re ready for takeoff. Consider hiring a personal trainer since the first stages of exercising might be extra difficult due to your sugar level constantly rising and falling. Your training program should include working your entire body two to three times a week.
If you can’t manage to create your fitness program, you can find one here. Arrange your workout days so that you do different muscle groups each day. Remember to set rest days. Never work on the same muscle group 2 days in a row, for your muscles need some time to recover and get stronger.
It is important to warm up before any activity and consider taking some extra time doing it. A brisk walk is one of the exercises great for warming up. The same goes after your training; remember to stretch and relax your muscles.
Improve your diet
Since you started working out on a regular basis, you will have to change and adapt your diet accordingly. One can’t simply undergo constant strength training without proper nutrition, yet those with diabetes are limited to only a certain amount and types of food.
Those who have type 2 diabetes need to focus on eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, lean meat, and low-fat dairy.
Be extra careful when eating foods that are high in the Glycemic index (GI). Such foods are white bread, white rice, and soda.
Limit the intake of fast food, for it is one of the main contributors to the development of insulin resistance.
Fast food is also loaded with carbs and trans-fats and especially sodium, which is dangerous for people with type-2 diabetes. Combining a great diet with proper and constant exercising is the key to beating and overcoming diabetes.
You might not reverse the process completely, but you will definitely feel better in your own skin knowing that you can control it. There are many known ways to beat diabetes 2, and this is just one of them.
Wrap-Up
Verdict – Get familiar with your body and its reaction to change.
For once you know how it reacts to weight training and a change in diet and lifestyle, it will become much easier for you to overcome diabetes or at least deal with it.
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