3 frequently asked questions about diabetes and physical activity

Article written by Resident Doctor Trinh Ngoc Anh - Department of General Internal Medicine - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Physical activity is one of the recommended treatments for people with diabetes, with a key role in helping to control blood sugar and complications. Here are the three most frequently asked questions about physical activity in people with diabetes.

Patients with type 2 diabetes are those who have too much glucose in their blood, possibly because the body does not produce enough insulin to metabolize sugar, or because insulin does not work properly in the body (insulin resistance).
In both cases, physical activity helps lower blood sugar. During physical activity, the muscles still use sugar without insulin. In other words, regardless of whether your body doesn't produce enough insulin or is resistant to insulin, when you're physically active, your muscles will pick up sugar on demand, and so your blood sugar will drop. Meanwhile, the muscles at rest will use glucose close to zero.
If there is insulin resistance, physical activity will help increase insulin sensitivity more, so insulin resistance will decrease when physical activity and the cells will use the sugar more efficiently.
Physical activity can help patients with type 2 diabetes avoid long-term complications, especially cardiovascular complications. Patients with type 2 diabetes are susceptible to thromboembolic conditions, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Physical activity will help keep your heart healthy. In addition, exercise helps maintain good cholesterol, and helps the body avoid bad cholesterol - the component that forms the plaque that causes artery blockages.
In addition, there are many benefits of physical activity such as:
Lowers blood pressure Controls weight Strengthens muscles Strengthens resistance Improves quality of life Improves emotions Better sleep Reduces anxiety anxiety and stress

You must consult a doctor before starting physical activity to have a good exercise plan and best suit your health condition.
Your doctor will evaluate your cardiovascular status, this is especially important if you have atherosclerosis or high blood pressure, need to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure before, during, after exercise as well as after exercise. Be careful with resistance exercises.
You also need to consider other complications related to diabetes such as retinopathy or neuropathy. For retinopathy, exercise needs to ensure safety to avoid falls and injuries due to reduced vision. For neurological complications, it is necessary to limit exercises that continuously impact the feet to avoid rubbing and increasing pressure that can lead to foot ulcers.
Before starting to practice, you should set yourself a specific goal. If you haven't been exercising regularly lately, you should start slowly and gradually increase the amount and intensity of exercise.
One thing not to forget is that you should check your blood sugar before and after exercise to make sure you are not experiencing high or low blood sugar. When blood sugar rises, it is necessary to avoid dehydration during exercise by drinking water, and when blood sugar is low, always carry food with you to avoid hypoglycemia (3-4 candies, 1 box of fresh milk with sugar. ..).

The forms of physical activity that diabetics should do include 3 forms of aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching.

Aerobic exercise is moderate physical exercise including: walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, playing tennis, dancing...
The time to do aerobic exercise is at least 30 minutes/day and try Try every day of the week. If you feel that 30 minutes for a session is too difficult, you can break the exercise into 10 minutes each, so that the goal is at least 30 minutes at the end of the day.
Try to maintain each exercise for 20-30 minutes continuously, then gradually increase the exercise time each day to 60 minutes, even 90 minutes.
You can also extend your workout creatively to avoid boredom by walking to lunch, or joining the family for an after-dinner activity. Remember that walking your dog is also a form of exercise. You can climb stairs instead of taking the elevator.
You should find a way to practice that makes you feel most comfortable and enjoyable because if you don't feel happy, you won't be able to do it, even if you know exercise is good for health but You don't have the motivation to do it either. You can join an exercise class, or find friends with whom you can walk, run, exercise together, which will help you have fun and increase your motivation to practice.

Are resistance exercises including: lifting, pulling or pushing. Once you've done your daily aerobic exercise, you can add some resistance training.
Strength exercises strengthen your muscles, help prevent falls and improve coordination. These exercises if added with walking or brisk walking can increase bone health. Replacing fat with muscle is especially effective in patients with type 2 diabetes because muscles use more sugar, so the more muscle you use, the more sugar is consumed and will help lower blood sugar. .
Weight training is one of the most used strength exercises, or you can use your own body weight to do push-ups or planks.
Each strength exercise should last 20-30 minutes/time and 2-3 times/week

Are exercises that stretch muscles to help relax muscles after a workout as well as promote blood circulation to bring more oxygen into the muscles (for example, bending over, pressing 2 knees to the abdomen .. .)
With stretching exercises, you can improve your muscle's ability to work and increase your range of motion for a better joint. Stretch before and after a workout (especially after a workout) to relieve muscle pain and help relax muscles.
Stretching exercises should be done every day after exercise, each time only need to spend about 10-15 minutes.
Be motivated and excited to be able to stay physically active every day. Because exercise not only helps improve blood sugar but also contributes to reducing the chronic complications of diabetes. Physical activity will increase the quality of life of people with diabetes both physically and mentally.
Patients with diabetes can go to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and treatment. There is a team of well-trained endocrinologists, rich in expertise and experience in diagnosing and treating chronic diseases related to endocrine system dysfunction and diseases. hormones; The equipment system at Vinmec is modern and meets international standards; Professional service quality, high efficiency in diagnosis and treatment.
For detailed advice, please come directly to Vinmec health system or register online HERE.