Diabetes and exercise: a smart combination!

Regular exercise is important for everyone, but it's especially beneficial for people with diabetes or prediabetes. In this blog post, we'll tell you how to make combining exercise and diabetes a success.

Diabetes in numbers

More than one million people in the Netherlands have diabetes. That number grows by a thousand new cases every week. Ninety percent of them have type 2 diabetes, a form of diabetes influenced by factors such as obesity, age, and heredity. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the Netherlands and can lead to serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease, eye problems, kidney failure, and amputations. Diabetes can negatively impact the quality of life of people with diabetes and their loved ones.

Diabetes and sports

Regular exercise helps lower blood glucose and increase insulin sensitivity, thus counteracting insulin resistance. It also improves blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight, and well-being in people with diabetes. Moreover, regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or delay its diagnosis. Exercise can also help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, which is important in diabetes management.

Challenges

Exercise and diabetes are a good combination, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Here are some tips for exercising healthily and safely with diabetes:

• Monitor your blood sugar levels before, during, and after exercise. This way, you can see how your body is responding to the exertion and whether you need extra carbohydrates or insulin.
• Eat healthy, high-carb foods to maintain sufficient energy during your workout. Think of fruit, bread, crackers, muesli, or yogurt, for example.
• Adjust your medication or insulin intake to your exercise routine. You can ask your doctor or diabetes nurse for advice. Exercise makes your body more sensitive to insulin, making you more likely to develop hypoglycemia.
• Always carry quick-release sugars with you, such as sports drinks, glucose, or syrup. This way, you can quickly treat a hypo if it does occur.
• Always carry your medical information with you, for example, in the form of an SOS bracelet. This way, others know what to do if you experience hypoglycemia or hyperactivity and become unresponsive.
• Be careful with very strenuous activities, such as endurance sports. Your blood sugar can suddenly rise or fall dramatically, which can be dangerous. However, some elite athletes also have diabetes, so it's certainly possible. However, you'll need proper regulation and guidance.
• Do a proper warm-up and cool-down to prepare and recover your muscles and circulation.
• Enjoy exercising and the fit feeling it gives you!
• Find a gym where you feel comfortable and where you'll receive good, professional guidance. Don't forget to inform your instructor about your diabetes.