Benefits of exercise:
- It helps control weight. Exercise consumes calories, reduces weight, and alleviates insulin resistance through weight loss.
- It aids in managing blood sugar. Exercise enhances the uptake and utilization of glucose by muscles and the liver.
- It helps lower blood lipids.
- It increases insulin sensitivity, promoting the utilization of glucose by muscles and other tissues.
- It contributes to reducing blood pressure and blood viscosity, preventing and treating cardiovascular complications.
How to choose the right exercise for diabetes patients
Generally speaking, diabetes exercise programs should be selected based on the patient’s interests, simplicity, and sustainability, such as walking, slow running, Tai Chi, cycling, etc. Vigorous physical activities and prolonged exercises are not advocated. Overly flexed or inverted exercises are not suitable for the elderly.
How diabetic patients can control their exercise volume
The amount of exercise is determined by three factors: exercise intensity, exercise time, and exercise frequency. Whether the exercise volume is appropriate should be judged according to the patient’s response after exercise. If the patient feels energetic, fatigue-resistant, and their heart rate returns to normal within 10 minutes after exercise, it indicates that the exercise volume is relatively moderate.
The intensity of exercise often determines its effectiveness
Generally, heart rate is used as an indicator to assess whether the exercise intensity is moderate. When a person’s heart rate remains in the range of (220 – age) x (60% – 85%) during exercise, it is considered that the exercise intensity is appropriate. For example, for a 60-year-old person, the appropriate post-exercise heart rate range is (220 – 60) x (60% – 85%) = 96-136 beats/minute.
The exercise duration can start from 10 minutes and gradually increase to reach an appropriate intensity, with a cumulative duration of 20-30 minutes per day being preferable. It is recommended to exercise daily, and if this is not possible, to ensure that no fewer than 5 days of exercise are maintained per week.
