More and more people today are diagnosed with diabetes. Unless it runs in the family, it is mainly due to an unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise. And generally we're speaking of type 2 diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes).

Diabetes means that your blood glucose, or blood sugar is too high.

People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise regularly for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The reason for this is that muscles which are working use more glucose than those that are resting.

Muscle movement leads to greater sugar uptake by muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels.
For all types of diabetes, exercise:
* lowers blood sugar levels
* increases the effectiveness of insulin in your body
* lowers blood pressure
* lowers levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL)
* increases fat loss
* helps weight loss
* builds muscle mass
* reduces stress
* improves wellbeing
* improves circulation
* reduces cardiovascular risk.

Because regular exercise reduces insulin resistance, it tackles the root cause of Type 2 diabetes.

But how much exercise do you need ?
Ideally, you would want to do 30 minutes of brisk activity 5-7 times a week. Yes, if a healthy person can get away with 5 times a week, anyone suffering from type 2 diabetes is encouraged to do something every day.

A few precautions to take when exercising:
* Make sure you have eaten properly during the day before exercising.
* Check your blood sugar level before exercising. If it's too low, eat something and wait a little first.
* If you go to the gym, tell the fitness instructor in charge you have diabetes, and what type of medication you're taking.
* Try and exercise with someone, just in case you feel faint at some point.
* Make sure you have something sugary in your bag just in case your sugar levels dip too low. And make sure your training partner has access to your bag.
* Drink lots of water before and after exercising to hydrate properly.
* If you do train for more than 30 minutes, make sure to have a carbohydrate snack with you to eat during training.
* Check your feet regularly for blisters, sores, etc
* Gradually increase the time or intensity of the exercise, however, do that slowly.
* Consult your doctor and make sure medication is adequate to the exercise and amount of exercise you will be doing.

If you have diabetes and want to get into exercising, or if you think you are prone to diabetes and want to try and prevent it by exercising, give me a call, Anne Iarchy, Personal Trainer North and North West London, on 07880627944 or email me at anne@barnetpersonaltrainer.co.uk