Knowing you have to exercise and wanting to exercise are two very different things, but sometimes it's just one of those things that has to be done.
We all know by now that exercising is a good way to help you lose weight and feel better about yourself, but did you know that it can also help prevent future illnesses?
Diabetes is one of the most common health conditions in the UK with it affecting almost every 1 in 16 people. Since 1996, number s have risen from 1.4 million to 3.5 million and whilst it’s a disease that people can live with unknowingly, it’s likely that number is around 4 million with it looking to rise to over 5 million by 2025. It’s currently estimated that around 10% of the NHS yearly budget is contributed to the treatment of diabetes –this equates to nine billion a year, or rather 173 million a week.
Around 90% of these cases are Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually appears in adults however it is frequently being diagnosed in younger, overweight people and certain ethnic groups but is also one of the more prevalent cases of diabetes.
Cardiovascular health and diabetes are intricately linked. Taking control of your diet and daily exercise promotes better bloody sugar levels, blood lipid control and your mood. It also leads to higher energy levels, which make it easier to exercise and helps you feel better in general, hopefully giving you a nice confidence boost in the process!
We’re going to take a look at 3 types of exercise which you can incorporate in to your everyday life to help combat the health condition.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is anything that increases your heart beat, increasing your breathing rate and works your muscles. The average adult should be aiming to do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day, in order to keep their weight down. Just 150 minutes of exercise a week has shown to decrease the progression of Type 2 diabetes by 58% but this must be combined with a healthy diet – there’s no point doing your daily exercise and then following it with a take away! Vice versa, if you eat salad every day but do little to no movement, then your cardiovascular system will inevitably suffer.
Some good aerobic exercises include:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Swimming
- Gym
- Dancing
Strength training
Strength training is particular effective for building strong bones and muscles. This is ideal for staving off and managing diabetes as muscle burns calories even when you’re resting.
Strength training doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and start lifting huge kettlebells, you could start out at home using a tin of beans or other weighty items you can find around the house.
Flexibility training
Stretching is vital to any exercise; it keeps your joints flexible and lowers the risk of injury.
Doing this before and after your aerobic exercise will help you limber up by warming your body up and down – forgetting to do this will stunt your ability and leave you feeling sore for the following days.
The in-betweens
Although good to have a routine where you set aside your time each day to exercise, keeping active throughout the day can easily add to the calories you’re burning. If you’re fairly new to exercise, then start with the basics. Whether you get off the bus one or two stops earlier, dong the hoovering or pottering around the garden, these are all bonus movements that’ll be helping prevent diabetes or keep tabs on your current condition. If you can’ manage a 30 minute walk every day, then split it up to 3 x 10 minute walks through the day. Any form of movement is preferable to doing nothing.
So whether you take on a gym membership, join a local club or just start out at your own pace around the house, the know you’ll be taking the right steps to help your future health.
For more information on Diabetes, please go to the Diabetes UK website.
