Exercises to Lower Blood Sugar Levels

According to the CDC, more than 37 million Americans have diabetes because of blood sugar problems. And 90–95 percent of them suffer from Type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes develops when your cells cannot use or store sugar.

Age and genetics are just two of the risk factors for T2D. Fortunately, you may take steps to control or lower your risk of T2D. Keeping active and changing your way of life can assist.

A crucial component of controlling blood sugar is exercise. Exercise increases the sensitivity of your cells to insulin, which is the key to unlocking them and allowing glucose to enter and power your body. Exercise is beneficial for managing type 2 diabetes since it helps you lose weight and keep it off.

This post will give you a clearer idea of blood sugar and the types of exercises to lower your blood sugar.

How Exercises Lower Your Blood Sugar?

Let’s first examine the impact Type 2 diabetes has on blood sugar (glucose) levels. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, enables your cells to absorb blood sugar and use it as fuel.

Insulin resistance occurs when you have type 2 diabetes (T2D), and your pancreas produces more insulin to make up for it. This causes your blood sugar to increase, which results in a diagnosis of prediabetes or T2D.

Fortunately, exercise can assist you in controlling the consequences of Type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise, for instance, can:

• Minimize blood sugar levels: A regular exercise regimen may lower blood sugar levels over time.
• Improving insulin sensitivity makes it easier for cells to use the hormone; this will help cells respond to insulin more effectively.
• Help you lose weight healthily: Moderate-intensity exercise can assist you in losing weight healthily, which may prevent or reverse T2D.
• Lower your risk of cardiovascular disease: Type 2 diabetes increases your chance of heart attacks and strokes, among other cardiovascular conditions. Fortunately, combining fitness training with a healthy diet can reduce these cardiovascular risk factors.
• Preserve muscle mass and strength: Diabetes increases the risk of having low muscle mass and strength. You can preserve your muscle power by engaging in regular physical activity.

5 Exercises To Lower Your Blood Sugar

How long you exercise, among other things, will determine how your physical activity affects your blood sugar levels. By increasing your body’s sensitivity to insulin, physical activity can drop your blood sugar for up to 24 hours or longer after your workout.

Learn how your blood sugar changes as a result of the activity. You can better understand the advantages of exercise by monitoring your blood sugar levels more frequently before and after training.

The results of your blood sugar tests can also be used to determine how your body responds to certain activities. By being aware of these tendencies, you can avoid having too high or too low blood sugar levels.

Strength Training

 

Exercises that require using your muscles to overcome opposing forces are included in strength training, sometimes called resistance or weight training.

In addition to the 150+ minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, the Centers for Disease Control advise two days of strength training per week for optimum health.

According to research, resistance training increases muscle mass, lowers body mass index, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases glucose transfer, all of which reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Resistance training enhanced muscle strength by 38% in those over 60, according to a meta-analysis published in Diabetes Therapy. It also decreased A1C levels by 0.5 percent in those individuals.

Yoga

Yoga, like tai chi, has been shown to help people with diabetes manage their stress levels and condition, according to a review article published in September 2018 in the journal Endocrinology and Metabolism. According to Colberg, your blood sugar levels increase along with your stress levels.

You can do yoga as often as you would like, which is one of its benefits as an exercise. She asserts, “The more, the better”. Exercise helps persons with type 2 diabetes feel less depressed, according to a study published in March 2017 in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

Walking

Walking is a low-impact activity that most people enjoy. Increasing your step count can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. The ADA recommends 30 minutes of vigorous walking each day, or roughly 100 steps per minute, to reach this requirement.

Additionally, you can increase the intensity of your walks by including extra exercises like stair climbing. If you weren’t active before being diagnosed with diabetes, you might want to start cautiously and pick up the speed over time.

Cycling

According to the HHS, cycling is an additional aerobic exercise that burns calories while strengthening your heart and lungs.

According to a study published in March 2018 in the American Journal of Health Promotion, even a few rides each week as a simple means of transportation were found to lower the risk of obesity, high blood sugar, and lipid levels.

You don’t even have to leave your house to ride; you can do it inside, in any weather, on a stationary bike.

Swimming

Swimming is excellent for persons with blood sugar issues because it stretches and relaxes your muscles while putting no strain on your joints.

Studies have shown that it lowers stress levels, raises cholesterol levels, and burns calories for people with diabetes or those at risk of getting the disease.

We advise swimming at least three times a week for at least 10 minutes, progressively increasing the duration of the workout to get the most benefit from it. Last but not least, before you enter the pool, inform the lifeguard that you have diabetes.

Key Takeaway!

Regular exercise can aid in managing Type 2 diabetes. The ADA recommends mixing up your exercise plan with strength training and aerobics.

And engaging in a variety of enjoyable activities might support your efforts to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Before you begin, discussing safety and best practices with your healthcare professional is a good idea. And lastly, don’t forget to monitor your blood sugar levels with the Be Healthy Blood Glucose Monitor.