Taming Type 2 Diabetes

In my last post, I looked into some of the impressive benefits of exercising if you have type 2 diabetes. If you’ve been convinced to undertake an exercise program, you should be aware of some of the concerns regarding diabetes and exercise.

Hypoglycemia is one of these concerns. Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when blood sugars fall too much. It can cause confusion, sweating, shakiness, and even coma and seizures. Although diabetes patients taking oral medications are at some risk, the bigger danger of hypoglycemia is to those taking insulin.

To avoid hypoglycemia, you should

• Measure your blood sugars before, during, and after exercise.
• I f you are on insulin and your exercise is planned, you should reduce your short-acting insulin by 33 to 50%.
• If you are on insulin and your exercise is unplanned, you should take an extra 30 to 20g of carbohydrates for each 30 minutes of exercise.
• Inject insulin into the abdomen because the insulin will be absorbed more evenly; avoid injecting into the arms and legs.
• And if you exercise in the evening, you may need to add a before-bedtime snack to make sure your blood sugar level doesn’t go too low at night.

Keep in mind that while hypoglycemia can occur during or directly after activity, it can also occur 6 to12 hours after exercise.

Many patients with diabetes have eye disease, sometimes even when symptoms aren’t present. This particular eye disease results when the small, fragile blood vessels in the back of the eye break and bleeding occurs. Continued damage can lead to a loss of vision.

If you have extensive diabetic-related eye disease (diabetic retinopathy), you might need to limit the intensity and type of exercise you undertake. You should avoid exercise that involves excessive straining (e.g., weight lifting), jarring (e.g., boxing), or severe pressure changes (e.g., diving).

If you have kidney disease, you should be careful to avoid exercises that might raise your blood pressure.

If you have heart disease, which can result from the effects of diabetes on the large blood vessels, you should have an examination and your doctor should review your medical history before you start any exercise program. You and your doctor might also want to review the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations for exercise stress testing in diabetes patients.

Image by myyogaonline via Flickr

The American Diabetes Association has also developed a set of recommendations for exercising:

• Carry an ID card and wear a bracelet that identifies you as having diabetes.
• Be alert for signs of hypoglycemia during and after exercise.
• Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise.
• Measure blood sugar levels and act if the reading is less than 80 mg or greater than 240 mg.

In summary, the benefits of exercise for you if you have type 2 diabetes are basically “too good to be missed.” And if you take a few commonsense precautions such as consulting with your doctor beforehand, starting slowly, and choosing appropriate exercises for your particular needs and conditions, you shouldn’t have to miss them.