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Essential tips for diabetic exercise from a biokineticist (fitness expert!)

diabetic exerciseDiabetic exercise

Getting active every day can feel like a bit too much to ask for, especially if you’re already juggling life and diabetes… Diabetic exercise is a big topic. Which is why Cindy Tilney asked the experts to give us easy ways to keep fit – no matter how old you are!

How hard to exercise with diabetes

We all know exercise is good for us, but exercising to the max can be too much of a good thing. It’s essential not to stress the body by exercising too hard, says Professor Wayne Derman, the Director of the U-Turn Chronic Disease Lifestyle Rehabilitation Programme based at the UCT Sports Science Institute of South Africa. “When planning an exercise routine, it’s important to consider any medical condition you might have, as well as any medication you’re taking and how it may affect you while exercising,” says Prof. Derman.

Be informed

“It’s essential to go for a health check and orthopaedic assessment before starting any exercise programme,” says biokineticist, Sarah Hall.

Get checked for:

  • Cardiac weakness
  • Any existing injuries
  • High blood pressure
  • Ischaemia (restriction in blood supply)
  • Uncontrolled diabetes

Warning signs:

The right kind of exercise has benefits for every chronic condition, says Prof. Derman.  But watch out for:

  • Feeling breathless to the point that you can’t talk when exercising
  • Any pain.

“The saying ‘no pain no gain’ is not true,” he says. “Your body should be in a state of relative comfort while exercising.”

So what should you do for diabetic exercise?

It’s important to include all of these steps in an optimal exercise programme, as they all have different functions, say Derman and Hall. These include:

  1. The warm up: This involves stretching and preparing your body for exercise.
  2. Flexibility training/stretching: This focuses on increasing the range of motion of the joints and stretching the body to release tension in the major muscle groups – calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, chest and arms.
  3. The aerobic phase: Involves movement of the large muscle groups to increase the heart rate. It can be walking, jogging, cycling, aqua aerobics or rowing, for example.
  4. Muscle strength resistance training: Using elastic bands or circuit training to make muscles stronger. This is particularly important for people with diabetes, as it can help the muscles involved in the absorption of insulin to become more sensitive, which helps blood sugar control.
  5. Stability training: Exercises like plank position that help balance and core stability.
  6. The cool down: This involves stretching and relaxation to allow the heart rate to go back to normal and the body to return to a resting state.

Remember: The goal is to exercise 20 to 30 minutes on most days of the week.

3 Top tips for people with diabetes:

  1. Don’t begin exercising if your blood sugar is either too high or too low (over 16 or below 4.8).
  2. If you are using insulin, always take something sweet with you when you exercise, in case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
  3. Avoid injecting into large muscle groups just before exercising.

What kind of exercise is best for people with diabetes?

We asked biokineticist Sarah Hall to give us a sample exercise routine. Here’s what she said:

Warm up: 5-10 minute brisk walk

Stretch: Standing calf and quad stretch, chest, shoulder and bicep stretch, lying down hamstring stretch and cat stretch for the back

Aerobic: Step for 2 minutes

Muscle strength: Like bicep curls, wall push-ups and abdominal crunches (sit-ups)

Aerobic: Walk or jog on the spot for 2 minutes

Stability: Plank position

Cool down: Repeat stretches

Diabetic exercise is an essential part of keeping your diabetes under control – just like eating right and taking your medication. And, of course, feeling part of a community. Join Diabetic South Africans on Facebook to meet other people living with diabetes, just like you!


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Sweet Life is a registered NPO/PBO (220-984) with a single goal: to improve diabetes in South Africa. We are funded by sponsorships and donations from aligned companies and organisations who believe in our work. We only share information that we believe benefits our community. While some of this information is linked to specific brands, it is not an official endorsement of that brand. We believe in empowering people with diabetes to make the best decisions they can, to live a healthy, happy life with diabetes.

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