2023-08-14 02:17:00
Hidden pandemic — that’s what experts call the development of diabetes. According to the German Diabetes Society (DDG), at least 8.7 million people in Germany are affected by type 2 diabetes. Five years earlier it was around 6 million. Trend: further increasing.
A sports scientist and a diabetologist explain how exercise can help diabetics.
What constitutes type 2 diabetes
First, a brief explanation of what type 2 diabetes actually is: In this form of diabetes, the body’s cells react poorly to insulin. This hormone ensures that sugar from food gets into the body’s cells, where it is then broken down.
If this no longer works properly, the so-called glucose remains in the blood — the blood sugar level rises. Over time, nerves and blood vessels can be damaged. In addition to genetic predisposition, type 2 diabetes is also caused by an unfavorable lifestyle.
Movement is often neglected in therapy
Of course, there are medications that people can take to lower their blood sugar. But the foundation of any diabetes treatment is a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and increased exercise are the cornerstones of the guideline that doctors should follow during treatment.
But: “Doctors don’t attach enough importance to this,” says Ulrike Becker, a diabetologist in Bonn. She is a board member of the Diabetes, Sport and Exercise working group of the DDG. The mere advice “move more” is not helpful for most people.
Becker compares this with the drug treatment of diabetes: Those affected are not asked to find out which diabetes drugs are available, to choose one of them. And then taking it according to the dosage they found on the internet. You will receive precise regulations and instructions. They also need it to get moving and stay on the ball.
Four reasons for more sport
The diabetologist explains exactly how exercise affects blood sugar. Four factors play a role in this.
1. “The insulin works better with every muscle work,” says Becker.
2. The body burns carbohydrates during moderate exercise, which causes blood sugar levels to drop and the sugar is not stored in the liver and adipose tissue, where it would then have to be broken down.
3. Exercise helps shed pounds — which in turn allows insulin to work better.
4. If you have more muscle, you also burn more calories at rest, which is good for blood sugar and weight.
Even small changes make a difference
Prof. Christine Joisten from the German Sport University in Cologne considers exercise – embedded in a healthy lifestyle – to be the decisive means of counteracting type 2. “Exercise is medicine,” says the head of the department for physical activity and health promotion.
You don’t have to run a marathon or be a bodybuilder to do that. Even small changes make a big difference.
So the best strategy isn’t to commit to walking more than 10,000 steps a day from now on. Because that might make you give up in frustration following three failed days. Instead, you can try to walk 1,000 to 2,000 more steps a day than you are doing now for the next few weeks.
And: In order to stay on the ball in the long term, sport and exercise must be fun. So the motto is: try it out and, above all, don’t get discouraged.
When it comes to sport, Joisten pleads for more self-esteem: “When you learn a language, you don’t expect to be able to do it within two weeks. Why are we doing this when we are moving?” says the Vice President of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention.
This is how you get started in the sport
What is there for new or re-starters with diabetes to consider when it comes to sports? That depends on what you want to do, says Joisten. “Expanding everyday activities, taking more steps, that’s always possible,” emphasizes the expert.
If you want to do more, it is best to discuss your plans with your doctor. For women over 50 and men over 40 or if there is a risk of cardiovascular disease in the family, a stress ECG is recommended before the start. Anyone who has high blood pressure — often a concomitant disease of diabetes — should refrain from overly strenuous physical activity.
Again and once more topic: Which is the right kind of sport for people with diabetes? “It doesn’t matter at all,” says Christine Joisten. “What’s fun.”
If you don’t like going to the swimming pool or cycling, you might want to try an online course first — everything from dance choreographies to Pilates can be found. The sports scientist emphasizes that these offers are perfectly fine to try out – to see what is fun and to get rid of initial fears of contact with sports. In the long run, however, correct execution and professional guidance are important.
Diabetologist Ulrike Becker also recommends being open to new things. “It doesn’t always have to be Nordic walking or aqua fitness.” Go climbing. Or trampolining. Important to know: If your eyes have already suffered severe damage from diabetes, retinopathy may not be the right sport for you.
If you are very overweight, sports that put a lot of strain on your knees are not suitable. But yoga or tai-chi are great. But somewhat unusual sports such as Ultimate Frisbee or walking football are also possible.
Geocaching is perhaps something for everyone who is bored with hiking. And there are special rehabilitation sports groups for people with diabetes — even the doctor can prescribe them. In the end, according to diabetologist Ulrike Becker: “The sport that I also do is the best.”
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