Exercise and diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects more than 1.2 million Australian’s. It is estimated that the prevalence of diabetes in Australia has tripled from 1989 to 2015 with 280 people in Australia being diagnosed EVERY day (THAT IS ONE PERSON EVEY FIVE MINUTES!!).
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious metabolic condition that occurs when the body cannot maintain healthy levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). There are many different sources of energy for our body with glucose being the main type. Glucose is found in foods such as bread, rice, pasta, cereal and fruit and our body must break down glucose in order to utilise the energy. The pancreas is an organ in the human body which is responsible for producing a hormone called insulin which helps convert glucose into energy. Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin or insulin cannot be utilised by the body due to insufficient amounts. This results in high blood glucose levels as the body cannot convert glucose from food into energy.
Over time uncontrolled blood glucose levels can lead to many health complications such as retinopathy, kidney disease, diabetic neuropathy causing amputation, heart disease and stroke.
There are several types of diabetes including
- Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM): Occurs when the pancreas does not produce any insulin and account for 5-10% of all people with diabetes. People with T1DM are insulin dependent.
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): Occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient amounts. T2DM accounts for 85-90% of all diabetic cases and is initially managed with exercise, healthy eating and weight loss. However, due to diabetes being a progressive disease, medication and insulin are often needed in conjunction with lifestyle changes to manage T2DM.
- Gestational Diabetes: Occurs during pregnancy when blood glucose levels are recorded at abnormal levels. Gestational diabetes normally subsides after pregnancy but it can develop into T2DM. Approximately 12-14% of women will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Exercise to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
While there is no cure for diabetes, physical activity is a key component in managing and preventing T2DM from occurring. A combination of aerobic (walking, running, swimming, cycling) and resistance training (body weight, free weight and machines) provide many benefits in not only controlling T2DM but delaying the progression of the condition. Participating in regular exercise interventions can decrease the incidence of T2DM by almost 60% in people at risk.
Regular aerobic and resistance exercise can help control blood glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, decrease lipid levels, lower blood pressure, increase weight loss, cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass and improve quality of life. Physical activity can also help reduce daily insulin requirements for diabetics who require medication to treat the disease, and can even stop the need for you to take insulin at all!
If you have diabetes, please call us on 95801985 to learn how Katrina, our Exercise Physiologist can help you!