For diabetes type-2 patients, diet habits need to be taken into consideration. What you eat and what you don’t, there is always a visible degree of caution involved in selecting foods which are perfectly safe for keeping diabetes patients at their optimum condition. Thankfully, exercising is not beholden to the same sort of prohibitive rules as food is for diabetes type-2 patients. It is perfectly safe and doctors add, it’s highly recommended. In fact, it’s even recommended for those who are dealing with the complications of diabetes.
Medication and diet are important. The role of exercise is no less important than that in helping you lower your blood sugar levels and in helping you lose weight at the same time. That being said, exercising can always seem difficult for people who are getting back to it after a long, long time. Even diabetes type-2 patients are those who haven’t exercised in ages. Here are some exercises that, once you start nice and slow with them, can become an indispensible part of your routine. And before you know it, it’s a part of your daily workout plan.
Quick Workouts – The First Step towards Exercising
To start with, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercises on any given day. The sooner people with diabetes start moving, the earlier they can take advantage of the body’s natural propensity to lower the blood sugar to a more manageable level. You can either do quick workouts in one stretch of 30 minutes. Or you can even opt for breaks and chunks of exercises that add up to 30 minutes every single day.
Activity Rather Than Specific Exercises
Normal household activities, such as walking, going up the stairs, gardening, mopping – all of these can be good substitutes for exercising. They burn calories and lower your blood sugar level. Even then, relying on these activities solely is not recommended. This can make you overestimate the value of your exercise or what passes for it.
The Pedometer Is Your Best Friend
Want to stay motivated? Get yourself a pedometer that tracks your physical activity. It subconsciously makes you yearn for exceeding the targets you set yourself for physical activity. It can help you increase the number of steps you take on any given day, leading to weight loss & lower blood glucose.
A Friend in Need Is the Perfect Motivation Indeed
When you are with friends, you tend to enjoy any activity much more. The same applies for working out and that too with friends. You can keep each other motivated. Your behavior and attitude towards exercises undergoes a massive change. You tend to think of it less as a ‘work that needs to be taken care of’ to ‘I look forward to this with my friends’. It makes your environment lively. It triggers the ‘can-do’ stimulus.
Be Specific and Realistic With Your Goals
Start small and take baby steps towards achieving 100% efficiency in exercising. Say for instance, you can exercise for 10 minutes every day at the beginning. Being realistic is important if you are to gradually progress towards and then surpassing those goals.
Reward Yourself for a Job Well Done
If you achieve these goals, you should reward yourself for the same. Oftentimes people need a little extra motivation than the promise of weight loss. So, treat yourselves for achieving certain targets you’ve set for yourself.
Note Down Your Achievements and the Next Activity
By having a visual reminder of what needs to be done, people are more compelled to fulfill their goals. This can be in the form of a note on the monitor, the fridge, etc. This way, you always keep sight of your goals.
These tips can help you regain your fitness as well as a stable blood sugar level at all times. You will be able to keep the complications of type-2 diabetes away.
