Working out, if you are diabetic, can be an uphill task with overall fatigue setting in your body, reducing your exercise capacity and the number of calories you burn compared to people without any metabolic diseases. According to a 2020 review published in Cardiovascular Diabetology, people with diabetes have lower aerobic exercise capacity than people without it. It further observes that in people with diabetes, the peak oxygen uptake also reduces by 20 to 30 per cent.
Hence, it makes it even more difficult to pull yourself out of the bed. But the benefits of exercise are never overstated.
Dr Subrata Das, senior consultant, internal medicine and diabetology, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru, says that people with diabetes have lower aerobic exercise capacity because glucose does not enter their muscles efficiently due to insulin resistance, particularly for those who suffer from type 2 diabetes. “Diabetes is a state where glucose remains in the blood and does not enter your cells. People with diabetes should exercise regularly and with time, they can improve their aerobic exercise capacity,” he says.
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While working out, he says that people with diabetes may feel a lack of energy. “They may not be able to do as much exercise as someone with no diabetes at the onset of the condition. And if they have associated heart issues or blood pressure, their exercise capacity can be even lower,” he says, adding that since their body doesn’t burn oxygen as efficiently as a non-diabetic person, they would burn lesser calories even if they work out for the same amount of time as other people. Hence, motivation to work out is even more important.
Kez Rahul, a wellness coach based in New Delhi, says that many people with diabetes are managing their condition well through balanced nutrition choices, regular physical activity and medication if needed. “Such individuals can perform well and even show better results to exercise stimulus as compared to the general population. This reaffirms the fact that if people apply their mind and dedicate themselves towards bettering themselves, the metabolic conditions wouldn’t play a spoilsport,” she says. Her partner and wellness coach, Rahul Ramamurthy adds, “According to the study, even if people with diabetes are resistant to improving exercise capacity with training, everyday progressive consistent training will certainly improve the threshold for exercise capacity, and this also will bring down their blood sugar. The lowering of blood sugar will improve exercise capacity. It’s a win-win.”
Why is exercise so important?
Dr Subrata recommends working out at least 30 to 40 minutes every day for at least five days a week. He says it is very vital for someone with diabetes to exercise because it helps them
- to burn calories
- reduce insulin resistance
- better utilise glucose
- cut down on medications
- prevent heart attacks and strokes
- maintain healthy cholesterol levels
But if you have diabetes and are experiencing heaviness in the chest, giddiness or breathlessness, experts recommend not to exert yourself. “If you are doing your regular workout and feeling tiredness or breathlessness on accustomed exertion, then you need to visit a doctor. It could be a sign of a heart disease,” says Dr Subrata.
Exercises and diet are the first lines of diabetes management, he says. Diet, which includes low-carb and more proteins, can also aid in improving exercise capacity.
Working out with diabetes
Naveen Bhaskar, a 45-year-old IT professional from Bengaluru has been managing his sugar levels with consistent workouts and a proper diet. Though he has a family history of diabetes, he says, he never checked his sugar levels until he observed a drastic physical change in himself. He lost almost ten kilograms and developed uncontrollable hunger and thirst two years ago. He says, “I initially thought that I lost weight because I was overdoing my workouts. But I developed hunger pangs and uncontrollable thirst as well. I checked online for the symptoms and conducted a blood sugar test, only to find out that my sugar levels had shot up to 400.” He sought professional help, made dietary changes and continued working out regularly. He brought his sugar levels under control within six months.
He is now maintaining a healthy weight and his sugar levels are between 115 and 130 mg/dl. But he says he never felt any exhaustion while working out after he was diagnosed with diabetes and attributes his exercise capacity to probably his active lifestyle even before the diagnosis. “I have been physically active, exercising since my childhood. I didn’t feel any difference when I was working out after the diagnosis. I used to feel tired in the afternoons. I am not sure if that was because of the exercises,” he says, adding that he does a mix of cardio and weight training. He has been now regularly monitoring his sugar levels and maintains them at HbA1c levels of around 6.6 per cent.
Dr Subrata says the ideal levels of HbA1c should be less than 6.5 per cent for younger people and seven per cent for older individuals.
The best exercise for diabetes
Kez Rahul says if diabetes is uncontrolled and one also has other conditions like heart conditions, neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease that are associated with high blood sugar, a moderate amount of activity should be performed. “Unless and until their doctor has contraindicated certain movements or types of exercise, it is safe for diabetics to follow an exercise program that consists of moderate aerobic activity and resistance training,” she says. She suggests the following workouts:
- Brisk walking
- Jogging
- Stationary bike or cycling
- Cross trainer
- Swimming
- Climbing stairs
- Skipping
- Some form of resistance exercise, either using weights, resistance bands or body weight to improve lean muscle mass
23 Responses
article is helpful
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Very informative. Nice
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Very useful information to create awareness among common people. Now it’s time to prevent the disease.
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Good work..Very helpful
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Very insightful Article
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My mom is diabetic… this article will definitely help her in future…. Very useful and informative, got lots of tips to take care of ourselves and our family…
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Nicely summed up!
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Diabetes is a battle of both physical and mental health. Keeping good frame of mind with proper diet and doing regular workouts would serve the purpose . I think the article is very well written .very informative and interesting
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Wonderful article clearly specifying what we need to do and how to motivate ourselves to do exercise and walking no matter what. Very informative. The writer could focus on alternate medicines and its effects and elaborate with case studies.
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Yes exercise is the better solutions for all diseases. Very good article.
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Exercise is key for any health condition, especially people with diabetes are encouraged to work out every day and this is a very informative article that gives a big picture.
Very useful and simple, easy to follow.
Very informative and handy guidelines.