Specific Exercises You Can Use As a Natural Diabetes Treatments

Analysis and Specific Exercise for Each Cause:

Diabetes during pregnancy: Diabetes during pregnancy is common even in women with no past history of diabetic symptoms or of normal weight. Gestational diabetes may come as a shock in such cases. The reasons for this are unclear. But, you need to be on a diabetes-alert if any of these is applicable to you:

- Family history of diabetes

- Overweight during pregnancy

- History of delivering an overweight child

- Problems during delivery of the previous child

These high-risk factors sound an alarm bell for you to consult a doctor. It is important for pregnant woman in general and diabetic ones in particular to exercise regularly.

Kegel exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor: The kegel exercise, which is contracting and expanding of muscles in the pelvic region helps in better bladder control and help strengthen the pelvic muscles that usually become weak after pregnancy.

The other common exercises include walking, aerobics and it is astonishing that simple tasks like climbing stairs are a very good exercise for pregnant women. It is found that women who exercise adequately during pregnancy have lesser chances of diabetes and have higher probability of normal delivery.

Obesity: One of the main contributors of diabetes is obesity. Excessive fats increase the resistance of the body to insulin. So, when obesity is in, diabetes follows in no time. In addition to walking, carrying loads (not heavy loads that leave you panting) will have better response. This will reduce the high blood pressure and push the limits because, it is possible to do extended workouts with obese conditions and it is required too.

Yoga as an Exercise for All Forms of Diabetes:

Yoga has an edge over exercises like swimming and jogging in its universal appeal. Swimming can be quite daunting for pregnant women while diabetic neuropathy keeps jogging at bay. The basic principle used in yoga is "combat at source". Yogic postures targeting diabetes rejuvenate the pancreatic cells. The abdominal contractions and releases act as massages for the abdomen and help maintain a healthy supply of insulin. It is interesting to note that this is one approach towards alleviation of type 1 diabetes which deals with abnormal or no insulin secretion.

Meditation has also proved to be very effective in maintaining a stress-free heart. It is to be noted that meditation and exercise go hand in hand. Workouts with a stressful mind lead to many chemical imbalances in the body. So, with meditation the mind is brought to a tranquil state and then exercise routine follows.

If you are in a quandary over the duration of exercise, then you can measure your heartbeat level after even 15 minutes. If you experience any kind of pain on the back or on the neck then you must not proceed further. Consult a doctor immediately.

Periodically check the blood sugar levels to monitor the progress.

It is not only important to exercise right, but it is important to eat right too. This has a twin advantage of fighting obesity which is a causal factor for diabetes, and a proper balanced diet will keep the blood sugar levels under control by itself too. A diet rich in fiber and low on fat is extremely beneficial for diabetes

In addition to calories, there is an additional index you need to look out for. It is glycemic index. You can ask your doctor for a food chart with glycemic index. Low glycemic index is a cue for a good diet for diabetes.

Steps to Be Taken Before, After and During Exercise:

Exercise should be planned based on you individual body condition and the type of diabetes. It is very important to remember that workout is meant to rejuvenate you and make you feel active throughout the day. Any exercise that makes you faint and yearns for supplement energy is bad exercise. To be specific, it is a badly planned exercise. Make sure you keep the following points clear before embarking on any schedule:

1. Safety of feet is paramount: It is not recommended for diabetics to go for exercises like jogging that introduce high pressure on the feet. Diabetic neuropathy weakens the nervous system and high pressure exercises will further damage the feet area. Also make sure there are no foot injuries, because one of the main indicators of diabetes is that wounds heal very slowly and it is very much susceptible to infections. So wear socks and shoes while going out and even if you are working out indoors, make sure to wear socks.

2. Hyperglycemia: This is a condition where the blood sugar levels shoot up above manageable levels. If you have very high blood sugar level, then bring it under control with medications and start the exercise regimen. In hyperglycemic conditions, the body will start using up the fat because of low level of sugar in the muscles. As a result the level of ketones will increase in the blood which can be seen in urine test for ketonuria.

3. Avoid exercise during illness: If you are sick, experience pain and soreness in your legs then avoid exercise during that time. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar levels keep fluctuating during those times and you do not want to end up with hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Any exercise routine should start only with a stable level of blood sugar (high or low does not matter).

4. Stay dehydrated and avoid overexertion: Hypoglycemia is more dangerous than high blood sugar because the effects are felt immediately. So, avoid pushing your limits. You will lose lot of water during exercise. Make sure you have a bottle of water handy while exercising. It is essential to stay constantly hydrated because dehydration may increases the sugar levels.

5. Use exercise meter to monitor the progress: It is not just for statistical purposes. It is to monitor the extent of exercise, the record of which must be kept so that the physician can analyze your trend and suggest changes point out the Do's and Don'ts.

Exercise is basically aimed at keeping the diabetic body healthy and active. So, if you feel you just work out 30 minutes a day and you rue over your sedentary lifestyle, then break up the exercise schedule in such a way that you end up doing some physical activity or the other throughout the day. It is not mandatory to workout at a stretch. Whenever you feel lethargy creeping in, do some small stretches and eye exercises. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye complication that damages the blood vessels in the retina. If not taken seriously it may even lead to blindness. But, with proper eye exercises and medical treatment in the early stages will definitely prevent it.

Last but not the least; this may appear to be a trivial factor. But an exercise buddy will go a long way in making sure you stick to the exercise schedule in the long run. It is possible that the initial enthusiasm that you exhibited and that pushed you to workout gradually wanes away, to the extent that you may avoid physical activity altogether. But, if you have a friend who has a strong determination and who experienced successful results with exercise, then that kind of motivation will show the exit door to the procrastinator in you. You can even get help from your doctor to find a mentor.

A healthy body and a sound mind can help combat any complication or abnormality. Remember that, "An exercise a day, keeps diabetes away"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3730566

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