Physical activity

Physical Activity

Everybody can benefit from regular physical activity and exercise. If you are living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes, it plays an important role in the management of your health.

Physical activity is any bodily movement that requires energy. This includes incidental unstructured activities that are part of daily life, or planned exercise to improve health or fitness.

Health Benefits

Keeping active is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.

Physical activity can lower blood glucose levels by using glucose to fuel muscles. During activity, muscles draw glucose from blood and stored sources in muscle and liver. For people living with diabetes, it improves insulin effectiveness and reduces insulin resistance.

Regular physical activity can also help:

• Maintain a healthy weight or aid in weight loss
• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Improve circulation
• Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Increase muscle strength and power
• Improve balance and reduce fall risk
• Maintain bone density
• Improve joint movement and flexibility
• Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
• Improve sleep quality

How Much Exercise is Recommended?

The more physically active you are, the greater the health benefits will be. Doing any physical activity will be better than doing nothing. The amount of exercise you do might vary depending on your goals and initial level of fitness. If you currently do no exercise, begin by doing a little and gradually build up to the recommended amount.

Aerobic

The guidelines recommend completing 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity most if not every day of the week. It can be completed in smaller bouts of 10-15 minutes if required and includes activities such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. To achieve a moderate intensity, try and move at a level that increases your breathing rate but so you can still maintain a conversation. If your goals are weight loss, at least 60 minutes is recommended on most days of the week.

Resistance

It is recommended to complete resistance exercise on 2-3 days per week. This involves working your muscles against a force such as weight or gravity. It can include moving against your own bodyweight like standing from sitting or push ups, or you can use equipment such as weights, resistance bands or household items. Aim to do this type of activity on non-consecutive days to give your muscles time to recover.

Balance & Flexibility

Regular balance training can help to reduce the risk of falls and flexibility activities can help you move more easily allowing you to maintain your ability with daily living activities. Balance and flexibility activities should be completed 2-3 times per week or more as part of your physical activity routine. This includes activities like static stretching, balancing, yoga or tai chi.

Reduce Sedentary Behaviour

Whilst completing the recommended amount of physical activity is beneficial for your health, sedentary behaviour such as sitting for extended periods should be minimised and broken up by moving more throughout your day. Try breaking up sedentary activities with regular movement breaks or try completing sedentary activities in a more active way. Aim to have no more than 2 consecutive days without exercising.

Exercising Safely with Diabetes

•  Create an exercise plan. See your GP for clearance prior to any new physical activity program to make sure it is suitable for you. Speak with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist for assistance with creating a tailored exercise program for your level of fitness and to suit your individual needs.
•  Check your blood glucose levels (BGLs). If you have been asked to monitor your BGLs, check your BGLs before and after exercise to ensure you are within a safe exercising range. Check BGLs during exercise if it is longer than 30 minutes. The ideal BGL range when exercising is between 5.5mmol/L and 15mmol/L.
• Know your medications. If you are using insulin or sulphonylurea medications, physical activity can increase your risk of hypoglycaemia by lowering your BGLs and adding to the effect of these medications. Hypoglycaemia occurs when BGLs fall below 4mmol/L. Make sure you carry hypo treatment with you when exercising. If a hypo occurs, stop exercising and treat immediately.
• You may need to adjust your insulin doses for physical activity. Discuss this with your doctor, diabetes nurse practitioner or diabetes educator.
• If your BGLs are above 15mmol/L and you are feeling unwell or have ketones (type 1 only), it is best to delay exercise until your levels reduce. Some forms of exercise can temporarily increase BGL levels further.
• The BGL lowering effect of exercise can last up to 24-48 hours, increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia. Keep an eye on BGL levels following exercise and have a carbohydrate snack or meal if required.

For Help Getting Started

Diabetes SA offers group-based exercise classes delivered by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Ask your GP if you are eligible for Medicare rebates to see an exercise physiologist, or check with your private health fund provider to see if they offer rebates for exercise physiology.

To find an Accredited Exercise Physiologist near you visit essa.org.au.