10 tips Unclattering the diabetes fitness program.
How many times have you been on a fitness routine and a few weeks later you haven’t lost a pound.
Could it be that you chose the wrong fitness programs or you are just not exercising enough?
We all know that fitness brings its own set of challenges for a diabetic,
common wisdom dictates that exercise will lower your blood sugars and it is encouraged,
- While fitness will generally lower your blood glucose, you will get a shocker if you test during a workout or right after because your numbers rise before they fall. I found out this titbit earlier last year and had an animated discussion about it on it here.
- Essentially the body through the liver will dump glycogen during exercise that will rise the blood sugar levels.
- Or that it matters greatly what your numbers are before you exercise because numbers above 250 will put you at great risk for DKA and so it is not recommended to exercise when you are that high.
- Aerobic or non aerobic exercises and in what sequences also matter. Recent reports have put the best fitness plan for diabetes to be a combination of aerobics plus weights but at what sequences for optimal results.
- There are recommendations for the duration as well, for example the participants in the above report who saw optimal results worked out at 45 min sessions 3 times a week.
Among all these recommendations and data is the mandate that we have to exercise but beyond that you have to work things on your own as is the beauty of diabetes management and its individuality so here is my attempt to unclutter the diabetes fitness program.
- Never start a fitness program without consulting your doctor first.
- Understand your fitness goals, and create an actionable plan. (some factors will have to addressed depending on your plans and goals, for example work out times, pre and post workout snacks and their times integrated into your overall meal planning.
- Fitness is progressive so if you are just starting out, then start with 5 or even 10 minutes a day and move forward from there as you get stronger.
- Always do exercises like Extreme Body Workout that will elevate your heart rate for an extended period of time.
- Combine both aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (weight lifting) for Beach Body like optimum results.
- Do not exercise on high numbers above 250 for risk of DKA
- Test frequently and treat as appropriate.( rem the glycogen will increase glucose levels so be careful about over treating)
- For optimal results, test about an hour after work out for an accurate determination
- Choose an achievable target with a specific goal in mind, weight loss, lowering your fasting numbers, this will help make the 90 Day Review fitness program a success.
- Do what you love and include your support structure for extra motivation.
This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance
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I agree that if one is aiming to lose some pounds, he better carefully follow the program and not think of losing weight quickly. If you just determined enough to accomplish what you really wanted to accomplish, just do it right and you will enjoy the results.
sometimes the aim of a diabetes fitness program is not weightloss. i think thats one of the aspects of diabetes that gets painted over with a broad brush, there primal goal of a diabetes fitness is to control blood sugars, weightloss is a secondary aftereffect. a good one yes but still a secondary one
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I agree that a diabetic fitness program is not always about losing weight. I have been a type one diabetic for over 47 years and was diagnosed with diabetes at 2 years old. I was fortunate in that my parents taught to eat right but as a younger child I was more of an indoor person; I never got much in the way of exercise.
It wasn’t until I was in high school that I became interested in being more than the proverbial 90 pound weakling. I started lifting weights, sticking to my diabetic diet and in a matter of a few years I found myself spending 4 hrs. a day in my home gym. Now I was no longer a “90 pound weakling but in fact people were coming to me asking for advice on how to become fit. Later I took up cycling and had even better results. I guess I just didn’t want to fit the mold of what many perceive diabetics to fit within. I found that I felt much better, had more energy and it sure felt good as a diabetic to be be the one people came to when they needed a physical job done. Isn’t it great being a diabetic. Diabetes has taught many of us discipline and caused us to push harder than those around us. When I look back at my life, well I must say I’ve been blessed to have been chosen to be a diabetic. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I hope this can help other diabetics who may see themselves as less fortunate than others because they have this “handicap”. Instead, we have a rare opportunity to show the world that diabetes is not a handicap. It’s a driving force causing many of us to strive for excellence.
Back to the subject at hand. A diabetic fitness program can be about a lot more than just losing weight.. Some diabetics don’t have a weight issue at all. Some are simply struggling with keeping their blood sugars in check and a fitness program can be a Godsend for them. For me, a fitness program has helped me to discover that diabetics are no less able to accomplish physical goals than non diabetics. In fact, those of us who have stuck with the “diabetic diet” have a head start when it comes to sticking to a fitness program.