All the more reason for a diabetic to feel comfortable with an active physical life
June 26 is National Diabetes Day, a date that “was born” after a joint action by the Ministry of Health and the WHO (World Health Organization) to train the Brazilian people on the harmful effects of the disease. In addition, Sport Life spoke in this appointment with two endocrinologists, who underlined the need for sport for diabetics.
The importance of sport on National Diabetes Day
“Every person with diabetes should exercise. It works like a drug. There are studies comparing physical activity and showing that it is sometimes more effective than diabetes medications. So, all diabetes treatments must include physical activity as if they were a recipe”, highlighted the endocrinologist of the Albert Einstein Hospital Dr. Paolo Rosenbaum.
The reason why sports are treated as medicine for a diabetic is that Rosebaum said that exercise is able to help metabolize sugar, which means burning off this type of excess in the blood.
“Often we can reduce it by half when the person is exercising. So, exercise is very important in trying to reduce the amount that person uses diabetes medications,” added the practitioner.
The recommended physical exercise for a diabetic is resistance and aerobic. Generally, what is indicated is 30 minutes to an hour of aerobic exercise, three to five times a week. Bodybuilding is suggested twice a week, as are pilates and other exercises that require strength.
“Physical activity has both short-term benefits, as immediately after blood sugar is usually better controlled, and medium- and long-term benefits when there is a reduction in insulin resistance, better cardiovascular conditioning, general help with comorbidities and weight loss”, the endocrinologist of the Santa Catarina Hospital – Paulista Dr. Priscilla Cukier.
Is it true that a diabetic gets tired more in sport?
“People with diabetes don’t get tired anymore in sports. There are many diabetics who run marathons. Even Olympic swimmers have already won events with type 1 diabetes, who use insulin and are well controlled, who manage to win medals from ‘gold. Thus, “In no way will diabetes make a person more tired. If he’s well controlled, he’ll perform as well as anyone else,” Paulo pointed out.
The warning is aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, i.e. obese, sedentary people who will have to condition themselves to perform intense physical exercises.
“No type of diabetes compromises the practice of physical activity. However, medical guidance is important due to the peculiarities of each patient and the therapy used, which often requires adjustments in diet and medication before and after physical activity. always the age of the patient and also the comorbidities present”, concluded Dr. Priscilla.
Help on National Diabetes Day
There is no definition of the best time for a diabetic to exercise and everything is based on each person’s willingness. A discovery that shows how precious sport is in everyday life.
“Of course, it would be ideal to exercise early in the day, but in no way is it contraindicated to exercise at night. People who exercise at night often have difficulty sleeping. So, we know that exercise helps. We don’t there is a rule. It is important to exercise,” warned Paulo.
Another addition is that until now there has been no scientific evidence on how to prevent recurrent type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents. What is usually emphasized by doctors is maintaining healthy habits to prevent type 2 diabetes.
“As far as type 2 diabetes is concerned, prevention is lifestyle changes. So, if the person has a family history of both father and mother with diabetes, that person needs to take better care of themselves, needs to exercise more, can’t gain weight, and need to have a healthier diet. So, this would be prevention to avoid progression to diabetes,” concluded Dr. Paolo Rosebaum.
Data
The SBD (Brazilian Society of Diabetes) has announced the existence of more than 13 million people affected by this disease, a figure that represents 6.9% of the national population.
Data from the Diabetes Atlas of the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) accuse Brazil of being the fifth nation for the incidence of diabetes in the world and behind China, India, the United States and Pakistan. The estimate of the incidence of the disease in that document is that in 2030 it will reach 21.5 million.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
