Exercises for Diabetes are very crucial in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol in your body. Seniors with type 2 diabetes face more challenges due to joint and muscle pain with increasing age. Some basic exercise ideas can help you fight against fat, reduce stress, and may even reduce the need for injectable insulin.
Besides a healthy diet, exercise for Diabetes is also necessary. Regular exercise maintains your Diabetes. Low-impact movements like walking, cycling, and swimming are best fit for seniors to do for lowering blood sugar levels. It is suitable and convenient for seniors with type 2 diabetes, and walking is advisable for everyone.
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Some Best Exercise Ideas for Older People
Some facts, like age, and health history, must be considered while exercising for Diabetes. Every type of exercise does not suit everyone and may be adversely affected. You can also read about: Understanding the Increase of Diabetes.
1. Brisk Walking
If you can’t exercise, start walking as it is easy to do. However, walking is mild, but It is a powerful way to increase blood circulation and pumping of the heart. It significantly impacts your health, even when you have Diabetes. Going outdoors is a beautiful way to keep you relaxed and enjoy the purely natural air in a scenic environment. Seniors who walk regularly keep their sugar levels controlled.
2. Swimming
Swimming is an excellent option for people with arthritis as it has zero effect on your joints. It is a gentle exercise for your heart, lungs, and muscles, and it controls your blood sugar level and reduces the blood glucose for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is a very beneficial exercise for Diabetes.
3. Cycling
Cycling is also a form of aerobic exercise for people with Diabetes that makes your heart healthier and lungs work better. A few minutes of regularly cycling may burn calories and reduce fat, and helps boost cardiovascular health. People with arthritis may have some problems during cycling. So, avoid this and go for another exercise that suits you.
4. Yoga For Seniors
Yoga is the best form of exercise as it is easy to do with a low impact on your mind and body. It helps control blood sugar levels, lowers stress, and may improve the quality of your sleep and boost your mood. Yoga is a good exercise for people with Diabetes.
5. Posture Exercises
Many posture exercises encourage blood circulation, like arm stretching and leg stretching. While doing this, seniors may have some problems as it is not gentle enough for elders. It is not much recommended for exercise for people with Diabetes.
6. Dancing
Dancing is ideal for seniors with slow movement as it increases blood circulation in the heart and muscles. Fast dancing may create other health problems for elders.
7. Weightlifting
Weightlifting may help you build muscle mass and burn the extra calories you have gained. Plan for weightlifting twice a week. It may help in controlling blood sugar levels.
Exercise for people with Diabetes depends upon their health complications. The Person with high BP must avoid lifting or stretching type exercise as it may adversely affect them.
8. Resistance Band Training
Resistance Band training benefits elders as it helps strengthen joints and muscles. The resistant band is also available in various strength levels; you can choose what is convenient for you.
9. Chair Exercises
Chair exercise is quite comprehensive and can be done by sitting on a chair with the movement of the neck to improve posture, Knee joints to manage muscle pain, and a lot more. The exercise combines various activities to target many parts of the body.
How exercise helps in Managing Diabetes
It is proven that exercise changes our body’s blood glucose level, may increase or decrease blood sugar levels and can secrete insulin in our bodies.
Exercising helps in controlling Diabetes in a different way as
- It improves insulin production in our body
- It lowers cholesterol.
- It will help in losing weight.
- It improves our body flexibility.
- It helps in improving our mental health.
Exercise Safety
Before starting any exercise, please consult your doctor about whether it suits your body. Don’t do much activity in one day; it may have side effects. Excessive exercise is not recommended for seniors as this will exhaust them very much.
Excessive exercise and skipping food sometimes result in low sugar levels, which is also not good for our health.
Some More Tips to Control Diabetes Type2 in Seniors
Besides exercise, a diabetic person should consider some more facts to reduce their blood glucose level.
Control weight
Carrying excessive weight makes it difficult to control sugar levels. The diabetic Person should consume a low-calorie diet full of nutrition to reduce weight gain, and belly fat is very harmful to a diabetic person.
Control Stress
Stress is another enemy of a diabetic person. To control stress, walk for a while in an open area to get fresh air, which may help manage stress.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is hazardous for a person with Diabetes as it increases blood sugar levels and creates complications in the body. Avoid smoking. Taking alcohol is very harmful to a diabetic person.
Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid packaged foods, readymade snacks, and carbonated drinks. Homemade snacks and juices are the best alternatives to maintain your glucose level.
A combination of diet and exercise maintains blood sugar level control. It is challenging to cure Diabetes completely as It is a chronic disease, but it can be suppressed for a certain period. Overall we can say Diabetes cannot be completely cured. It can be reduced to a certain level.
Conclusion
Regular exercise and a controlled diet are the need for overall health. But for diabetics, it is essential to do some physical activity to maintain blood sugar levels. Before going for a fitness routine, the diabetic Person must consult with a doctor; they will suggest to you how to stay safe without any injury. The seniors need to do exercises that don’t put extra pressure on their knees, legs, and back.
However, these exercises are of low impact, but it keeps the body healthy by strengthening the muscles, encouraging blood circulation, and reducing stress.
This article is just for information purposes, not for medical advice. Consult with your physician to learn more.
Featured Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
