Exercise in Diabetes

 Physical education should be considered a form of medicine to treat diabetes. Exercise, as well as medication, requires the necessary match between efficacy and safety.

Typical training includes stretching and strengthening exercises lasting 10 to 20 minutes, performing aerobic exercise for 5 minutes, performing aerobic exercises of appropriate intensity for 15-60 minutes, final 5-minute aerobic training, and stretching the robot for 5 minutes.

Why all these exercises?

The aerobic part of training is aimed at reducing the risk of chronic complications and increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, which is undoubtedly the most important. 

It is important to consider both stretching and strengthening muscles. With well-functioning muscles, you will be able to perform aerobic exercises and engage in other activities.

 In addition, with increasing muscle mass, exercise can increase insulin sensitivity.

Stretching exercises

Whether you suffer from diabetes or not, stretching should be preceded by performing aerobic exercise. It will take a long time and you will appreciate these activities that provide physical and mental relaxation to the body and prevent injuries due to increased flexibility and mobility of the joints.

At the beginning and end of the training day, if you have time (the Pro-Diabet.net portal warmly recommends that you find it), do stretching exercises. Each stretching position should be “locked” for 10 to 20 seconds.

These exercises are very helpful, however, if you have problems with your musculoskeletal system, such as arthritis, consult your doctor before performing them.

Back and shoulder muscles.

Raise the elbow of the right hand up, and lower the right behind the back between the shoulder blades as low as possible. Touch your chest with your chin.

 If possible, use the left arm on the left side until you feel a stretch in the back of the right arm as well as on the bottom right. Hold this position. Repeat with the left hand.

Inner thighs.

Sit on the floor, joining your feet, and pull your heels as close to your buttocks as possible. Gently push down on your knees.

Muscles of the lower back and lower legs.

Lying on the hind legs is prolonged. Pull your right knee to your chest, pressing your back to the floor. Hold this position, then repeat, changing legs.

Body muscles.

Lean your face against the wall about 3 pounds. Put your hands on the wall, feet firmly pressed to the floor. Step forward with your foot. Maintain a straight back as you progressively bend your leg at the knee joint. By changing legs, repeat the same.

Strength exercises

Unlike exercises to develop flexibility, strength exercises should be performed only 2-3 times a week. Even this minimal amount of physical activity can be large for some patients. 

Performing weighted examples can lead to an excessive rise in blood pressure, which is dangerous for patients with neurological and cardiovascular complications. 

If you fall into this category of patients, but your doctor has allowed you to perform strength-oriented exercises, pay attention to the following.

• Do not hold the contraction for more than 6 s. Isometric type of exercise, or static exercise, during which the muscle is in a state of contraction for more than a few seconds without relaxation. This can lead to side effects on the cardiovascular system in patients with complications.
• Don't hold your breath. The so-called Valsalva maneuver during the lifting of the dumbbell, i.e. forced expiration, in which air is not completely released from the lungs. Use is not recommended because the cardiovascular system is exposed to significant stress.
• Do not perform exercises that involve holding the dumbbell over your head for a few seconds.
• Use dumbbells of less weight for more repetitions, not the other way around. Larger dumbbells significantly increase blood pressure.

The portal has developed a simple program of strength-oriented exercises that most patients with diabetes can perform at home with minimal risk. 

It is based on the use of hand dumbbells weighing from 0.5-3 kg to 6 kg. Examples cover all muscle groups. Even though this program is intended for patients with diabetes, who have cardiovascular and neurological complications, you should still start consulting a doctor before starting classes.

We advise you to perform these exercises 3 times a week, following the following recommendations:

• Start the exercises with dumbbells, whose weight does not exceed 3 kg, and gradually increase it to the maximum (about 6 kg), if you have half the strength;
• Repeat 8-16 times;
• Perform 1-2 cycles from each example by resting between cycles of 15-60 s (after you can complete two full cycles with relative ease (2 x 16 repetitions), you can try to increase the weight of the dumbbell. Note that it is more important to do the exercise correctly, not to increase the weight of the dumbbells);
• Do not hold your breath as you repeat. (If you have such a desire, it means that the weight of the dumbbells is great for you);
• Pay attention to body position;

If your doctor allows you a more intensive program, you should find a good professional who is qualified to teach you how to use weight training equipment.

For the external shoulder muscles

Raising hands to the side. The arms in front of you are slightly bent at the elbows, palms facing each other. Spread your arms with the dumbbells to the side to shoulder level and your elbows slightly bent. Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat.

For the front of the shoulder muscle

Raising the arms forward. Hands in front of you to shoulder level. Return to the starting position and perform with the other hand.

For the back, the shoulder muscles, and the upper back (spread your arms to the sides in a bent position).

Lie in front so that your body is almost parallel to the floor. The legs are slightly bent at the knees. Hands hanging down, palms facing inward, elbows slightly bent. Spread both arms out, raising them to shoulder level. Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat.

For shoulder, neck, and upper back muscles.

Standing, arms hanging in front of the body with palms facing him, dumbbells together. The palms are placed near the torso. Raise your dumbbell arms to your chin. Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat.

For biceps and forearms

Hands next to the body. Bend your arms at the elbows, lift them, trying to keep your elbows close to your torso, return to the starting position, and repeat.

To strengthen the triceps

One leg is about one step ahead of the other. The legs are slightly bent at the knees. Pull the torso forward, resting your hand on the knee of the leg that is placed forward. 

The other hand with the dumbbell is on the side (palm towards it). Extend your arm with the dumbbell completely. Then bend the arm, returning it to its original position, and repeat. Repeating the required number of times with this hand, repeat the same thing.

For ring muscles

lying on the floor with his arm against his torso. Raise your dumbbell arms over your chest and connect them. Put your hands down and repeat.

For chest and back muscles

lying on the floor, the dumbbell arms are folded just above the center of the chest, slightly bent at the elbows. Lower your arms behind your head, and bend your elbows slightly. Return to the starting position and repeat.

To strengthen the abdominal muscles

Lifting the torso from a lying position without the help of arms and legs. From a horizontal position with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your palms placed on your hips, lift your shoulders off the floor, moving your fingers toward your knees. Return to the starting position and repeat once more.

To strengthen caviar muscles

Hands with dumbbells on the sides of the body, legs slightly spread. Lifting on the metatarsals of the legs. Return to the starting position and repeat once more. Do not bend your knees.

To strengthen the muscles of the hips and buttocks

"Showers" with feet. Hands with dumbbells on the side, legs apart. Step forward with one foot and bend it slightly at the knee. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

According to the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine, the average person should perform at least 8-10 exercises at least 2-10 times a week that cover major muscle groups.

Furthermore, at least one cycle with 8-12 repetitions of each exercise is advised. These instructions are appropriate for diabetic people. However, if you suffer from this disease and cardiovascular disease, you should take advantage of our program.

Gymnastics for diabetes: the best exercises

Gymnastics for diabetics

With type 2 diabetes, in addition to dietary treatment, patients should be reminded of the need for regular exercise. Diabetes is not an impediment to participation in sports.

It is worth knowing that with age, energy consumption at rest decreases by about 5% every 10 years of life. Therefore, to maintain proper body weight while eating the same amount of food, you need to move more.

Exercise should be aligned with the general condition and preferences of the person. Additional health problems and complications of diabetes should also be considered.

Important! Physical activity leads to many beneficial changes: it improves the general condition, has a positive effect on the circulatory system, helps control blood pressure, improves the lipid profile in the blood, and improves cerebral circulation.

These beneficial effects are especially noticeable in people with diabetes. Insulin and drug sensitivity improve, and blood sugar levels decrease.

It is very important that patients with diabetes plan to exercise. To be sure, you should seek the advice of your doctor and agree on rules for changing treatment, especially changing insulin doses, and some oral medications, as well as your steps in case of hypoglycemia.

Daily morning exercises for diabetes

Morning exercises increase the body's need for oxygen and make the lungs work intensively, whose volume gradually increases their vital capacity increases. In people who do gymnastics systematically, the size of the chest increases, and the respiratory muscles that move the ribs develop well.

In addition, "filling" brings the skill of proper deep breathing, which is very important. A person accustomed to deep breathing can significantly increase ventilation and not feel short of breath, even with great physical effort.

The following set of exercises for diabetes gymnastics:

Exercise 1. Walking 1-1.5 minutes. 

Exercise 2. Starting position. The main stop. Performance. Raise your arms through the side parts upwards, at the same time moving your right or left foot back to the toe - inhale, return to the original position - exhale.

 Exercise 3. Starting position. Legs shoulder-width apart, arms outstretched toes, toes clenched. Performance. Alternately bending the arms at the elbows while rotating the head toward the outstretched arm. The breath is arbitrary. 

Exercise 4. Starting position. The main attitude is breath. Performance. Alternately bend the legs at the knee joint and bring the body into the body - exhale. 

Exercise 5. Starting position. Legs shoulder-width apart, arms at the body - breath. Performance. Squatting on your toes while throwing your hands forward with your palms down - exhale. 

Exercise 6. Starting position. Sitting, arms apart, outstretched arms from behind - breath. Performance. Alternately, remove the left (right) hand, but the juice of the right (left) leg - exhale. Do not bend your knees. 

Exercise 7. Starting position. Sitting, arms apart, hands up - inhale. Performance. Touching your toes without bending your knees - exhale. 

Exercise 8. Starting position. Sitting, legs bent at the knees, hands focused on the back - breath. Performance. Alternately bend your knees to the side - exhale.

Daily morning exercises against diabetes are a good firming for the heart. The activity of the heart muscle is very closely related to the work of the entire musculature of our body. The greater the load on the muscles, the more the heart has to work.

Exercises like squats jumps, or jogging tones also strengthen the heart muscle. Its reductions become stronger, it acquires the ability to work more economically and successfully copes with increased stress, for example, in sports.

Morning exercises help the digestive system. Exercise enhances the motility (contraction and relaxation) of the stomach and intestines, which contributes to the better digestion of food and its progress in the gastrointestinal tract.

Under the influence of exercises for the torso muscles, especially the abdomen, blood, and lymph circulation in the abdominal cavity and small pelvis improves, which creates favorable conditions for better absorption of nutrients in the intestinal walls and their transfer into the blood.

Attention! It should be noted that the beneficial effect of charging through the central nervous system extends to all without exception: the activity of the kidneys and sweat glands increases, and the liver works better.

Performing exercises without clothing that prevents the entry of air and subsequent water procedures (wiping, wiping, showering, or bathing) temper the body well, increasing resistance to diseases, especially colds.

A patient with diabetes must take physical activity seriously and always remember the wonderful words of the French physician Tisse: "Movement as such can replace many drugs in its action, but not all the world's therapeutic substances can replace the action of movement."

How does exercise affect blood sugar 

Movement can replace different medications, but no medication can replace movement. Regular physical activity is needed if you want to cure diabetes because it increases tissue sensitivity to insulin, enhances its effect and the action of glucose-lowering tablets, positively affects lipid metabolism and blood clotting, improves cardiovascular activity, and contributes to weight loss due to obesity.

It is strange that when doctors tell you that it is FREE you need to play sports, spit on it, and get offended ... You don't even attend a school for diabetics, where they also talk about physical activities. But for 10,000 euros, believe me, you need to walk 10 km every day and listen to where to send the money ...

What is insulin sensitivity?

Muscle cells are quite selective in what to let go of and whatnot. Nutrients can't swim through the bloodstream with the thought, "Hey, I want to get into that muscle cell and see what's going on." No, this is not going to work with the muscles.

To get into a muscle cell, it is better to engage insulin support. If you can do that, you can be sure that you have access, because insulin is the main controller of the face in the club. If you are friends with him, then you think you are already inside.

Advice! Even though facial controllers are known for their indifference, they are still susceptible to human emotions. So, if you come across your favorite facial controller right after he discovers the betrayal of his stripper girlfriend (with type 2 diabetes), then he will most likely treat you not so cordially and is unlikely to let you or anyone else into the club.

Conversely, if you meet him after his favorite football team wins the Super Bowl, then he will most likely be more friendly and accommodating than usual - and so let you, your friends, and friends of his friends into the club absolutely free.

If you understand this analogy with facial controllers, then you will understand what insulin sensitivity is. Sensitive face controllers release more people into the club, and insulin-sensitive receptors release more nutrients (like glucose, and creatine) into muscle cells to trigger anabolic fun.

For a variety of reasons, after exercising in people with diabetes, blood sugar levels can rise or fall. At normal blood sugar levels, moderate-intensity physical activity leads to the fact that the amount of glucose the liver releases into the blood and the amount of glucose consumed by the muscles are balanced; blood sugar remains stable.

For example, during short workouts, during a brisk run behind a bus, muscles, and the liver can release glucose stores that they can use as energy. With prolonged moderate exercise, muscles consume up to 20 times more glucose than normal. It lowers blood sugar.

But intense exercise can also have the opposite effect with insulin resistance or lack of insulin in the blood, i.e. significantly increase blood glucose levels.

The liver, receiving a cell starvation signal, releases extra glucose. But even that glucose does not achieve the goal, because either the entrance to the cells is closed due to insulin resistance, or due to lack of insulin. The more intense the load, the more the liver releases blood sugar, the higher the blood sugar.

Yet, the body experiences intense stress as stress and releases stress hormones that tell the body that it needs to raise blood sugar levels to provide energy to the muscles.

Therefore - the main rule for patients with diabetes, until tissue sensitivity to insulin is normalized, there is no need to become champions. Excessive exercise in diabetes can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar. 

“Everything in moderation” is a basic principle of a healthy lifestyle for diabetes. With sugar above 13-15 mmol / l, even moderate physical activity can lead to an increase in blood sugar and the appearance of acetone.

How to choose an exercise? How to report them correctly?

Gradually increase the total load. Be sure to include strength training exercises in the complex as they significantly increase insulin sensitivity. The fact is that the anti-insulin hormone IGF-1 (a growth factor similar to insulin) is produced in the muscles during strength training, and when it enters the bloodstream, it stops the release of basic insulin from the pancreas or inhibits insulin release. 

Exercise alternates with yoga. Centuries of yoga experience and modern research have shown that regular performance of some asanas normalizes pancreatic function and leads to complete recovery. 

The intensity of physical activity should be moderate until tissue sensitivity to insulin is normalized. The load must not cause fatigue. The duration of training is 5-15 minutes until the tissue sensitivity to insulin is normalized,

It is known that 100 g of glycogen is consumed on a run for about 15 minutes, and the glycogen stores in the muscles after carbohydrate intake can be 200-300 g.

 A new study showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is only 3-6 minutes, when short bursts of activity interfere with periods of rest, increasing muscle glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes.

Important! The results of the study showed that after two weeks of intensive training, glucose metabolism in the thigh muscles in people with type 2 diabetes reached a healthy level, as in the control group.

Interval training of high intensity - training of the future, you can work only 10 minutes and seriously reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lower high blood pressure, affect visceral fat.

Due to HIIT-style training, insulin sensitivity can be increased by 23-58%; it takes 2 to 16 weeks of training to begin such adjustments (at least the studies that studied the impact of HIIT on glucose metabolism took that long).

Breathing exercises against diabetes

Any breathing exercise can be considered a unique means of treatment and rehabilitation without drugs, which activates various mechanisms of repair (restoration) of almost all bodily functions.

These exercises contribute to the improvement of the health condition of the disease, and at the same time, they are a means of prevention. Stimulation of the body's immune responses occurs, and resistance to adverse factors increases.

Another argument in favor of respiratory gymnastics is the possibility of combining it with any other type of treatment. In addition, it helps reduce the side effects of different types of therapy and shortens the time of drug use.

Numerous research on the impact of breathing exercises on the health of people with diabetes has been undertaken. As a stress reliever, along with other relaxation methods, breathing exercises help relieve nervous tension. Moreover, the impact of these exercises in their effectiveness is sometimes not lower than the results of the action of drugs.

Doctors at Duke University Medical Center found interesting facts: 1/3 of the patients under their supervision who practiced breathing exercises regularly showed a slight (1-2%) but a stable drop in blood sugar.

Caution: If we are talking about diabetes, then stress plays an important role in worsening the patient’s condition and increasing blood glucose levels. Nerve overload worsens the health of people with diabetes. 

Under stress, specific hormones are released into the bloodstream, which leads to changes in metabolic processes.

As a result, a record-high amount of glucose appears in the blood, which is not particularly dangerous for a healthy person. However, for diabetics, such an increase in blood sugar levels can lead to life-threatening problems.

It should be noted that everyone can learn breathing exercises. Their application is simple, and the improvement of general well-being, increased efficiency, and many other positive results of teaching have been noticed in all who have found the strength to fight the disease.

 It is also worth remembering that breathing exercises have a restorative effect, activate blood circulation, and train the cardiovascular system.

In 1985, after studying various respiratory gymnastics and instrumental methods of airway treatment, Vladimir Frolov, a biochemical engineer by training, created a breathing simulator, which now bears his name. V. Frolov came up with the creation of a device "for every person", trying to cure his disease complex.

Between 1985 and 1999 Numerous clinical trials of simulators were conducted based on such research centers as the Second Moscow Medical Institute. NI Pirogova, Research Institute "Sport", Research Institute of Pediatrics, the Regional Center for Respiratory Medicine, as well as the 

Department of Physiopulmonology of Samara Medical University, the Department of Cardiology of the Moscow Regional Research Institute (MONIKI), the Medical Radiological Research Center of the Russian Academy medical sciences, etc.

The result of these tests was the issuance of a copyright patent to VV Frolov and an Order of the Ministry of Health, which recommended Frolov's respiratory simulator (TDI-01) for use in medical practice.

The positive effects of other methods of breathing therapy (gymnastics according to Buteyko, Strelnikov, the principle of hyperbaric oxygenation, etc.) were used in the work on the simulator V. Frolov.

Tip: Fool's breathing simulator is a plastic construction with which the patient inhales water in the amount of 10-20 ml. Water forms a hydraulic closure, creating breathing resistance when inhaling and exhaling. This is the basic principle of the simulator.

With such breathing, a state of hypoxia is formed in the body. This is achieved by prolonging the exhalation, reducing the amplitude of breathing, as well as back breathing (exhaling through water into a practically closed space of the simulator, the person then inhales air from the same space, or inhales his own air).

In this way, the oxygen content in the air mixture is ensured at the level of 17-18%. This is a kind of stress for the body, to which it responds by involving its adaptive mechanisms. The human body is not yet sufficiently explored and contains many hidden reserves, some of which can be activated during breathing exercises.

With the development of any chronic disease, the cells in one degree or another suffer from hypoxia, which can occur suddenly and be significant (for example, with an attack of bronchial asthma or angina pectoris). 

As a result of constant training on the simulator in conditions of mild and short hypoxia, a long-term adaptation to hypoxia is formed in the body.

The duration of a respiratory act (PDA) is a value that a person arbitrarily regulates during training on a Frol simulator. This indicator indirectly characterizes the condition of the body and indicates the effectiveness of training on the simulator.

 During training, it is necessary to strive for a gradual increase in PDA by increasing the expiration time. This is achieved gradually and each person has an individual character, depending on health, age, and other factors.

As with the application of breathing exercises according to the Buteyko method, disorders caused by hyperventilation, and deep breathing are eliminated, and the content of carbon dioxide in the body and acid-base balance are normalized.

In diabetes mellitus, TDI-01 Frolov's classes are designed to increase the body's resistance, its resistance to various types of adverse factors. 

These exercises help to normalize the psycho-emotional state, improve lung ventilation, and gas exchange, and improve blood circulation in tissues and organs in conditions of impaired metabolism when small vessels often become the target of the disease.

It should be noted that classes on the Frol simulator should be conducted continuously, regularly, and (especially in the initial stages) under the supervision of an expert familiar with this technique. Positive results are not achieved in one day. 

Persistence, persistence, and a desire to defeat the disease are very important when using this technique. From 1-2 lessons, you should not expect a result.

Important! According to clinical observations on the use of Frol's breathing simulator in children with diabetes, conducted by Professor VV Tuz at the Endogenous Respiratory Center in Yaroslavl, some subjects showed a reduction in blood sugar by 2-3 mmol / l.

No symptoms of hypoglycemia were observed. This does not indicate the effect of breathing exercises on the simulator on lowering sugar but on its normalizing effect on the course of all metabolic processes.

This allowed some subjects to reduce the dose of insulin administered. The described improvements were noticed after 3-4 months of daily training under the guidance of experts. Teaching on the simulator leads to improved sleep and general well-being.

Therefore, doctors consider Frol's respiratory simulator an effective method of rehabilitation treatment of diabetes mellitus, including in the presence of its complications, as well as their active prevention.

Exercise and gymnastics for diabetes

Therapeutic exercises for diabetes mellitus, combined with drug treatment and diet, have a positive effect on the patient’s body, helping to maintain good performance and well-being.

Physiotherapy exercises for diabetes 

Scientifically proven fact: Regular physical education with type 2 diabetes greatly facilitates the course of the disease. The effect of the load is comparable in strength to antidiabetic drugs. 

During the study, it was found that in patients after 4 months of training, diabetes control is significantly improved, weight is reduced, blood circulation is increased and the likelihood of depression is reduced.

 The result does not depend much on the type of exercise, the main thing is that the main muscle groups are involved. Even regular gymnastics at home is appropriate. You should spend at least half an hour a day or an hour every other day.

The importance of physical education for type 1 and 2 diabetes

It is important to know! A novelty advised by endocrinologists for continuous monitoring of diabetes! It is only needed every day.

Physical therapy is an important part of diabetes treatment, along with diet, medications, and weight loss. Patients who ignore this fact have higher blood sugar, more frequent blood vessel problems, and high blood pressure.

How the body is loaded:

The bloating of diabetes and pressure will be a thing of the past

Diabetes is the cause of almost 80% of all strokes and amputations. 7 out of 10 people die from clogged arteries of the heart or brain. In almost all cases, the reason for this terrible end is the same - high blood sugar.

Sugar can and should break down, otherwise nothing. But it does not cure the disease itself, it only helps to fight the investigation, not the cause of the disease.

The only drug that is officially recommended for diabetes that endocrinologists use in their work is the Ji Dao anti-diabetes patch.

The efficacy of the drug, calculated according to the standard method (number of patients who recovered to the total number of patients in the group of 100 people who underwent treatment) was:

• Sugar normalization - 95%
• Elimination of venous thrombosis - 70%
• Elimination of a strong heartbeat - 90%
• Alleviation of high blood pressure - 92%
• Vigor during the day, improved sleep at night - 97%

1. During exercise, the muscles need a lot more glucose, so their blood level starts to drop 15 minutes after you start exercising.
2. Due to the increased need for sugar, insulin resistance decreases, for the first time, the reduction effect lasts about a day, gradually becoming constant.
3. With sufficiently intense loads the muscles grow. The higher their volume, the more glucose they will consume and the less they will remain in the blood.
4. During physiotherapy exercises, more energy is expended, so the patient's weight is gradually reduced.
5. Decreased insulin resistance reduces insulin production, reduces the load on the pancreas, and increases its lifespan. When there is no excess insulin in the blood, the process of losing weight is facilitated.
6. Physical education stimulates the production of tryptophan, so you are always in a good mood after training. Regular exercise improves mental health and relieves anxiety and tension in patients with diabetes.
7. The loads that cause the pulse to accelerate train the cardiovascular system. Elastic, well-fitting vessels mean normal pressure and less risk of angiopathy.
8. The amount of energy increases, the feeling of weakness and constant fatigue disappears, and the working capacity increases.
9. Insulin requirements are reduced and doses of other anti-diabetic drugs are reduced. If type 2 diabetes mellitus is detected in time, only diet and physiotherapy exercises may be enough to compensate for it.

Exercise is not only effective for type 1 and 2 diabetes but also for metabolic syndrome.

Exercise safety

Type 2 diabetes often affects people who are far from sports. In order not to harm the uneducated body, it is necessary to gradually begin courses of physical therapy, using the principle of "simple to complex". First, the exercises should be done slowly, monitoring the proper execution and your condition. 

Gradually increase the pace to moderate. The criterion for the effectiveness of the load is the acceleration of the heartbeat, good muscle work, and normal health. 

There should be no feeling of fatigue the next day. If the body does not have time to recover overnight, the pace and number of exercises should be temporarily reduced. Minor muscle pain is allowed.

Do not do exercises through strength. Long (several hours) classes on the edge of physical ability in diabetes mellitus are prohibited, because they lead to the production of hormones that interfere with the work of insulin and the opposite effect is obtained - sugar rises.