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The Importance of Exercise To Beat Type 2 Diabetes and The Symptoms of Diabetes

Most of us spend our workdays seating in front of a computer, get home to spend more hours sitting in front of a TV and wonder why we have health issues. This sedentary lifestyle is one of the main areas wreaking havoc on our health and increasing the risk of developing various illnesses including type 2 diabetes and the symptoms of diabetes. The good news is that even making small changes can make a huge impact in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes has generally been classified as adult onset diabetes unlike Type 1 diabetes which usually begins in childhood and requires a lifetime of insulin injections. The alarming fact about type 2 diabetes is that it has started showing up in younger and younger people including children especially in the past decade as this type of diabetes has become an epidemic mainly due to food choices as well as sedentary lifestyles.

The Importance of Exercise To Beat Type 2 Diabetes and The Symptoms of Diabetes

Being overweight without a doubt increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and the symptoms of diabetes related to this type are affected more positively by making positive changes in diet and including physical activity.

What is Diabetes?

When food is consumed especially carbohydrates, the body converts the carbs into glucose which represents the simplest form of sugar. This glucose is then placed in the blood stream and must be removed and distributed to the various body cells that need this glucose for energy. The pancreas produces insulin which is responsible for removing this glucose from the blood and distributing it to the cells. When there are problems with insulin, this glucose cannot be removed from the blood and distributed to the cells and is instead secreted through urine thereby starving the cells of needed fuel and leading to the various symptoms of diabetes as well as diabetes related complications that may prove fatal.

With Type 1 diabetes, through a defect of unknown origin, the pancreas does not produce any insulin or too little insulin which makes this type insulin dependent through the daily injections of insulin in order for the diabetic to survive.

With Type 2 diabetes, the body may produce too little or may ignore the insulin produced for various reasons one of which is having too many fat cells in the body due to obesity leading to a resistance to insulin and the various symptoms of diabetes. This type of diabetes is not insulin dependent but serious cases may require some insulin injections or need diabetes medication.

While Type 1 diabetes is usually a lifelong illness, making important changes with diet and exercise can not only help with Type 2 diabetes management but in some cases may cure this diabetes and the various symptoms of diabetes. The vast majority of Type 2 diabetes cases have been identified as being overweight and obese so it cannot be a coincidence that they suffer from this disease.

diabetes symptoms

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes
Regular exercise is necessary to maintain one's health and wellbeing. It strengthens the bones, tones up the heart and various other muscles, lowers blood pressure, helps raise good cholesterol levels (HDL), increases levels of endurance, helps to relieve stress, aids in weight management, strengthens the respiratory system, leads to feeling of achievement on completion of the workout, etc.

Another of the important benefits especially for a diabetic is that exercise promotes the movement of blood sugars from the bloodstream to the cells that need this source of energy. It also improves the ability of the cells to respond to insulin which means that their need for insulin is decreased since the cells become more efficient with regular exercise. With all these benefits, it makes no sense to not incorporate exercise into one's life.

Changing Habits to Beat Type 2 Diabetes
Going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active lifestyle can be one of the hardest things to do even if your body demands it. You have to determine for yourself what your focus is going to be and live with your decision. If your focus is the pain or discomfort of exercise or not believing that it will work for you, the joy of being a couch potato and not exerting yourself, you will not be motivated to workout. If you change your focus to health and the many benefits of exercise and the sense of achievement you will have when you beat diabetes or other illnesses, you will make the decision to workout and stick to this decision even when you just want to sit in front of the TV and eat.

Helpful Tips To Make Exercise Work For You

-    Start small and set realistic goals. If it has been a while since you have worked out, start by doing ten minutes and keep building upon this as you get used to the exercise and as your endurance levels increase.

-    Start with a simple walk which is one activity that is considered ideal for diabetics. Do not make excuses about not being able to afford gym membership or being embarrassed about being around other people in a gym setting. Everyone can walk around the neighborhood or during a lunch break, etc.

-    Exercise should ideally be for at least 30 minutes in order to reap any benefits so take your time to build up to this.

-    The many positive benefits of exercise last for only a couple of days at most so you should try to exercise at least every other day.

-    Remember to stay hydrated which is a problem for many diabetics.

Do remember as a diabetic that you must first get the go ahead from your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen so that you avoid doing too much too soon or doing the wrong exercise. Not all exercise is suitable for diabetics. For instance, one of the symptoms of diabetes is neuropathy which means numbness in the nerves especially those in the legs and feet. Warning signs of this condition may include tingling, numbness, burning or pain in the legs and feet. For someone who is dealing with this, jogging may not be advisable and he or she will need to find another form of exercise under the guidance of a doctor.

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