2023-10-04 11:00:32
“The hidden pandemic,” is what many specialists call the development of diabetes cases. More and more people suffer from type 2 diabetes.
To counteract it, a remedy that does not require a prescription or is expensive could be used: exercise. However, it is often neglected.
A sports science specialist and diabetologist from Germany explains how movement and physical exercise can help people with diabetes.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which glucose or blood sugar levels are too high. In this form of diabetes, the body’s cells do not react well to insulin. This hormone causes sugar from food to reach the body’s cells, where it is then metabolized.
When this mechanism does not work well, glucose remains in the blood and increases blood sugar. Long-term, This can damage nerves and blood vessels. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a genetic predisposition, but also by an unhealthy lifestyle.
In generaltherapies do not include enough exercise
Of course there are medications with which affected people can reduce their sugar level.. But the basis of all diabetes treatment is a healthy lifestyle. The mainstay of treatment should therefore be movement or physical exercise.
However, “this is prescribed by doctors less than is necessary,” warns German diabetologist Ulrike Becker, who is a member of the DDG Diabetes, Sports and Movement Society. She claims that the simple advice “move more” is not enough for most people.
Becker compares this to drug treatment: patients are not asked to find out what diabetes medications are available, choose from the available medications which one is best for them, and take it as directed on the Internet. Why then aren’t they given clearer guidelines about what sports or activities can help them with their diabetes?
Four reasons to do more sports
The diabetologist explains what effect movement has on blood sugar levels. There are four factors that play a role in this:
“Working your muscles makes insulin work better,” says Becker. With moderate movement, the body burns carbohydrates, which reduces blood sugar levels and allows sugar not to be stored in the liver and fatty tissues, where it should then be eliminated. Exercise helps keep the pounds off, which in turn allows insulin to work better. Whoever builds more muscle also consumes more calories at rest, which is good for blood sugar and weight.
Even small changes can make a difference
Professor Christine Joisten, from the German Sports University in Cologne, believes that exercise – incorporated into a healthy lifestyle – is the decisive factor in counteracting type 2 diabetes. “Exercise is medicine,” says the director of the Department of Physical Activity and Health Promotion.
Explain what This doesn’t mean you have to run marathons or lift weights. Even small changes can make a big difference.
Therefore, the best strategy is not to aim to walk more than 10,000 steps per day from now on, since it is most likely that this plan will fail after three days without generating anything but frustration. Instead, you can try to walk about 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day more than up to now in the coming weeks.
Another important tip: In order to maintain physical activity, it has to be fun. Therefore, you have to try different things until you find the right activity.
Joisten also recommends being kinder to yourself when it comes to playing sports. “When you learn a language, you don’t expect to master it in two weeks either. Why would it be different with exercise?” says the vice president of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention.
How to be successful with sports
What should people who start exercising with type 2 diabetes keep in mind? This depends on what you want to do, says Joisten. “Increasing daily activity, walking more steps, those things are always possible,” highlights the expert.
Anyone who wants to be more physically active should discuss their plans with their doctor. For women over 50 and men over 40, or if there is a family history of cardiovascular disease, it is recommended to do a stress electrocardiogram before starting. People with high blood pressure – often a concomitant disease of diabetes – should refrain from excessively strenuous exercise.
So, what is the right sport for people with diabetes? “It doesn’t matter,” says Joisten. “The important thing is that you like it,” he warns.
Those who don’t feel like going to the pool or going out for a bike ride can also try an online course. On the internet there is everything from dance choreographies to Pilates. According to the Sports Sciences specialist, these offers serve to test what best suits each person and to overcome the first fears regarding exercise. However, she believes that in the long term it is better to do sports with a professional who will indicate the correct ways to exercise.
Diabetologist Becker recommends being open to new options. “It doesn’t always have to be Nordic walking or aquagym,” she says. She can also go climbing or jumping on a trampoline. However, it is important to know that if your eyes already suffer from retinopathy due to diabetes, this may not be the ideal sport.
If you are very overweight, it is not advisable to do activities that put a lot of strain on your knees. In these cases, yoga or tai-chi may be better, but also less common sports such as ultimate frisbee or walking soccer (wabol).
Geocaching, which consists of finding “treasures” with the help of GPS, can be an option for people who get bored of going for a walk. In addition, there are specific rehabilitation groups for people with diabetes that can be prescribed by prescription, even by the treating doctor. Ultimately, the ideal recommendation is, according to Becker, “to do the sport that you actually end up doing.”
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