Type 2 Diabetes: How diet and exercise could save your life (PART 3)
Posted December 13th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Megan Hueter
Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Health & Fitness, Exercise, Weight Loss
This is the third installment of a four part series. Part 3 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes: How Aerobic Exercise Can Save Your Life “.
Attention Type 2 diabetics: studies show that a change in lifestyle can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding how this happens could save your life.
The treatment goal for type 2 diabetic individuals is to achieve and maintain near to normal blood sugar levels and optimal fat levels in the body. With exercise the body becomes less resistant to insulin. Therefore, aerobic exercise is a very effective treatment modality and is commonly prescribed.
Upon diagnosis with type 2 diabetes, clinicians will usually recommend a drastic change in lifestyle which includes regular physical activity (aerobic exercise) and nutrition therapy (a drastic change in diet). Much like the treatment approach for nutrition (which was discussed last week), it is extremely important to understand that the majority of people with type 2 diabetes are obese and have a very low tolerance to any form of exercise.
Aerobic exercise literally means “with oxygen.” It refers to the use of oxygen in muscles performing exercise. Aerobic activity is performed at low intensities for longer durations so that individuals can burn fat.
For those with type 2 diabetes, regular aerobic activity promotes many beneficial changes. Most obese, diabetic individuals have significant decreases in blood sugar which actually lasts for about 72 hours (almost 3 days!) after performing the exercise. This is huge for a diabetic treatment modality.
Exactly how much of a decrease in blood sugar during exercise depends upon duration (how long you exercise) and intensity (how hard you exercise). Exercise lowers blood pressure and also results in mobilization of upper body fat. High blood pressure and upper body fat (visceral fat) has a high correlation with insulin sensitivity in the body as well as cardiovascular disease. Thus, aerobic exercise is an effective treatment protocol.
Many individuals who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (either genetically or through years of sedentary lifestyle) have a very low tolerance to exercise. These individuals are often not able to exercise at a level that is required for significant weight loss to occur. Body weight and body fat losses with exercise alone are often reported to be small. Therefore, it is very important to emphasize a nutritional diet and regular physical activity. With time and adherence, these changes will happen.
It is important to note that the impact of diabetes causes much stress on a person who is diagnosed. Not too many people enjoy hearing they are overweight and have a blood sugar problem. A complete change in lifestyle is extremely hard, particularly if it is a problem which has built up over years of a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, it is crucially important that therapy for those with type 2 diabetes includes strong social and family support systems that help these people adhere to this strict total lifestyle program. Many clinicians often recommend group classes or buddy support systems to help with this issue.
To influence positive consequences on the body’s sugar levels, the most important thing a type 2 diabetic can do is get moving, even if it’s small at first. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that an individual burns a minimum of 1,000 calories per week through aerobic activity. Individuals can work up to this goal over time. Below are recommendations from the ACSM on aerobic physical activity. The most important components include frequency, intensity, duration and mode (type of activity).
Frequency:
- Start with 3 nonconsecutive days each week
- Progress to 5 days each week
- Best if you work up to most/all days of the week.
Intensity:
- Low-to moderate (At about a 4 through 6 on a scale of 1 to 10)
Duration:
- Initially (if sedentary) exercise for 10-15 minutes each session
- Progress to a goal of at least 30 minutes each session
- Increase this each week to a goal of 60 minutes each session
Mode:
- Be creative. Do something you find enjoyable.
- Some auggestions are: walking, stationary cycling, swimming and/or aquatic activities.
It is incredibly important that type 2 diabetic individuals maintain their exercise program for the long-term. Recommendations such as using appropriate exercise equipment to avoid injuries, setting realistic goals, creating and sticking to a regular exercise schedule, using an exercise partner, encouraging rewards, alternating activities to reduce boredom, and understanding the difference between failure and backsliding can influence the maintenance of the exercise program.
Following these recommendations and sticking to a total lifestyle change can help type 2 diabetic individuals. Understanding this could save your life. Tune in next week for the fourth and final installment in this series. It will discuss the benefits of resistance exercise for Type-2 Diabetics.
Also make sure to go back and read parts 1 and 2 of this series:
Part 1: “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes”
Part 2: “Type 2 Diabetes and Nutrition”
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Source: Albright, A., M. Franz, and G. Hornsby. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Exercise and Type 2 diabetes. Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise. 32: 1435-1360, 1993.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: ACSM, adult onset diabetes, aerobic, aerobic exercise, alcohol, American College of Sports Medicine, blood pressure, blood sugar, carbohydrates, cardio, cholesterol, diabetes, dietary fat, energy balance, exercise, food intake, high blood pressure, lose weight, nutrition, obesity, overweight, protein, sugar, Type 2 Diabetes, weight loss
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The Final Sprint
[…] Type 2 Diabetes: How diet and <b>exercise</b> could save your life (PART 3) […]
December 13th, 2006 at 6:45 pm[…] Resistance training is a great addition to your already existing aerobic exercise program (as discussed in last week’s article). Studies show that resistance training can help your body properly break down sugar to for it to be used as energy in your exercising muscles. This occurs through various avenues in the body. […]
December 20th, 2006 at 3:56 pm