Exercise is often recommended in treating type 1 (insulin- dependent) and type 2 (noninsulin- dependent) diabetes ~ both as a stand-alone activity and in combination with diet and drug therapy. For people who are heavily dependent on medicines, exercise cannot replace drugs but it does contribute to normalizing the glucose metabolism.

Exercise helps diabetes sufferers in many ways. Weight is easier controlled when exercising regularly. Blood sugar level, which is a major concern for all diabetes sufferers, is lowered, thanks to exercise. Additionally, exercise lessens the probability of a heart disease, which is also very wide-spread among diabetes sufferers.

Also, regular exercise helps to improve one~s overall condition and this way reduces the risk of long-term complications. Regular exercise can even prevent diabetes in people who still have not developed it but are susceptible to it.

Despite the numerous advantages of exercise, do not underestimate the risks. Let your doctor decide if taking exercise is recommendable for you and if yes ~ what kind of exercise will be less risky. One of the dangers for diabetes sufferers are that exercise might change your reaction to insulin or might lead to an abrupt drop in blood sugar level, which is another risk for you.

In addition to the general advice for exercising, there are some tips, which for diabetes sufferers are especially important to follow. For them wearing comfortable shoes (and clothes) is a must because the occurrence of a single blister on the foot might lead to a serious infection that requires time and drugs to heal.

Special attention should be paid to drinking enough water and any kinds of liquid in order to avoid dehydration. Dehydration during exercising occurs because the body evaporates liquid in order to keep cool and if you do not drink water while exercising, you will get dehydrated, which is bad for your blood sugar level.

So, what kind of exercise is recommended? Exercise can be any physical activity ~ from cleaning the house, to regularly climbing the stairs, to strength training. It all depends on the physical condition.

Generally household chores that take 20-30 minutes a day and do not require much effort reduce the daily insulin requirement and are risk free. Also, many doctors usually recommend aerobic exercise ~ walking, jogging, bicycling, or aerobics.

If you have problems with the nerves in the legs or feet, then chair exercises, bicycling, or swimming can be a wise choice, because they do not strain the lower limbs. If you do not have problems with the lower limbs, then you can undertake walking or jogging.

If you are young or do not have diabetes-related complications, even strength training is OK. However, it is mandatory that your doctor approves strength training. Even better, exercise only in the presence of a personal instructor! Strength training exercises make one~s muscles to more actively demand glucose and have a positive effect on the glucose metabolism. Besides, strength training minimizes the lean mass and helps in keeping weight under control.

There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.

Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.

Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.

Diabetes can briefly be defined as a state when the body’s blood glucose is too high. The body does require a certain amount of sugar in the blood; however, those suffering from diabetes have levels much higher than what is needed.

Type I diabetes is also referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. In this form of diabetes, the body’s immune system has destroyed the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin from its beta cells. As in all cases of immune disorders, the body makes a mistake somewhere along the line and sees itself (the pancreas and its insulin producing beta cells) as foreign bodies. The immune system launches an attack to get rid of the invaders, which in this case are actually much needed beta cells.

Type II diabetes, on the other hand, has been called non-insulin-dependant diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, although lately the number of children presenting with Type II diabetes is rising at an astonishing and alarming rate. In Type II diabetes, patients’ cells are found to be unresponsive to the insulin in their blood or unable to recognize and use it properly when present.

Currently, treatment for both types of diabetes is limited to either painful, usually daily, insulin shots or diabetes medication. Patients are also advised to change their diet, increase their physical activity, and maintain a controlled blood pressure and cholesterol level.

When considering the cause of the disease further, one realizes that the same basic concept is true for both forms of diabetes. For some reason the body has turned against itself, attacking and destroying - as in Type I diabetes - or has ceased to recognize its own cells as “self” - as in Type II diabetes.

The body’s mechanism for cellular communication and recognition is glyconutrients, or sugar forms, found on the outside of every single cell of the human body. Glyconutrients help each cell to recognize others as “friendly” and not to be attacked (Type I diabetes). Additionally, they are the words by which cells “talk” to each other and give instructions, ie. “I’m insulin, let me in” (Type II diabetes).

If these glyconutrients are absent or damaged, the cells cease to have the ability to recognize and communicate with one another and various diseases such as diabetes may appear in an individual.

New research and studies are focusing on the use of glyconutrients to help diabetic patients. Several recent studies 1, 2 have shown that with the use of supplemental glyconutrients, blood sugar levels in patients with Type I and Type II diabetes can be decreased. What is hoped is that with continued use of supplemental glyconutrients through the diet, the body’s repair mechanisms may be able to fix the damage that has been done by the disease by learning to recognize and communicate between cells once again.

Until obesity became epidemic, type 2 diabetes was virtually unheard of in children and teens. It was originally called “adult-onset” because it was mainly seen after middle age. At least 9 million American children are seriously overweight and another 9 million are heavy enough to be at risk, yet studies show that many parents are in denial about their children’s obesity.

16% of U.S. children have weight problems but doctors make weight reduction suggestions to parents about their children in only 1% of visits. There are a number of reasons for this denial and lack of concern:

Obese mothers nearly always recognize that they are overweight but only 1 in 5 correctly identified their overweight children.

Many doctors are just too busy to become involved in problems not directly related to the symptoms the child was brought in for.

78% of the population of the U.S. does not see being overweight as a health problem.

Many cultures equate thinness with poverty and starvation; to them a fat child is a strong and healthy child.

Many parents believe that the child will grow into their weight.

A child that is overweight will very likely become an obese adult. Studies show at least 15 conditions causally related to obesity. They include diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hip fractures, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, end-stage renal disease, liver disease, urinary incontinence and several forms of cancer.

For many overweight children the possibilities of disease in the future is not a concern. There is a far more pressing cause of pain for these obese children on a daily basis. This pain is caused by discrimination by their classmates. Other children are much more direct and cruel then most adults when it comes to ridiculing the “fat kids” they associate with. A first grader is likely to believe that thinner is better and young children will put these thoughts in to action by excluding their heaver classmate from their team or by calling them names.

This ridicule may cause a child to retreat from social interaction or to become a bully, using their weight to intimidate their tormentors. Either course of action only causes the child more grief and frustration in the long run.

Most children are not receptive to traditional restrictive diets. When they are told that they can no longer have the foods they crave, such as: white bread, candy, cookies, and ice cream they feel that they are being punished. It makes little difference how much time the parent spends trying to convince the child it is for their own good.

Children will often find access to the foods that are being denied to them at home with friends, relatives who don’t believe in diets or by spending their own money to purchase the sweets. If the child doesn’t have money they may begin to steal the foods they crave.

Many times when the child gains access to the forbidden items they will binge. 30% of girls and 16% of boys who were on a diet admitted to binging on foods that had been forbidden to them when they got the chance. Now the child not only feels punished by the parent, they have added guild to the emotional mix by defying their parents’ orders or breaking the law. This guilt causes stress that may cause the child to act out in other more serious ways.

While exercise and eating guidelines are based on good scientific principles, they do not necessarily agree with human nature or common sense. Recent history tells us that we are better off encouraging the mediocre people who are willing to include exercise in their daily lives, rather than cramming guidelines down the majority of those who want to fight the inevitable. In the end, keeping things simple and in a supportive situation will keep everyone happy.

With all the fitness and diet programs out there, you would think people in our country would be getting in better shape. We're not. Why? All of us are confused, frustrated and burdened down at the contradictory of medicine and fitness for one reason, and the other reasons involve issues we have already discussed.

The key in motivating yourself to exercise is to keep your eye on the big picture. If you don't, the details will become a quicksand pit. The big picture is: JUST MOVE IT!

So much money and time is spent on gimmicks and diet fads that only get used for a short time, with little or no results.

The big picture is about being realistic, not to have high expectations, but to focus on internal health issues, such as blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol levels, and a quiet mind. The challenge is that you have grown accustomed to being motivated by instant gratification. It is more of a priority to look good rather than to have lower stress levels.

You get frustrated because you are trying to fight a battle you can't win with something fast and easy. It's called aging. You blame aging on other things in hopes there is something out there that you can do or take that will get you the results you want in the shortest amount of time. The truth is while good looks are a good measurement; they are only perks in the big picture.

THERE ARE NO MAGIC FORMULAS

The "Wellness Industry" is the fastest growing industry today. Why? Because millions of people are searching for some hidden treasure box with a magic formula. The truth of the matter is you will never replace HARD WORK! There are parts to any exercise program that work. Yet, anything promising fast results is usually too good to be true and will set you up for disappointment.

MORE IS NOT BETTER

Logic will say if I walk for twenty minutes, I will burn this amount of calories. If I walk forty minutes, I will burn twice as many calories and be in better shape. Not so!

When it comes to exercise, the term "Over Training" is used when muscles have reached their limits, run out of nutrients and need replenishing, but do not get it. Sometimes you will see this in poor sleeping patterns, added soreness, plateaus and boredom in workouts that make us aware of needing rest. For the athlete, one of the hardest things, yet best things for us to do, is consciously listen to our bodies. Sometimes the body's requirements go against logic. There may be situations where your body needs more rest time to rebuild itself. Sooner or later you will hit a wall and then what are you going to do?

EXERCISE SMARTER, NOT HARDER

When it comes to maintaining an exercise program let's face it, it is hard work. It can be hard at times and it never seems to get any easier. Harder exercise is not the answer to better results, but doing it effectively and efficiently is. No matter how old you or what your goals are it's important to incorporate all areas of fitness into a program:

" Joints- through flexibility exercises

" Heart-through cardiovascular workout,

" Skeletal muscle -with strength training.

" Balanced eating habits

When all areas are implemented in a regular routine, they build on each other. Something is better than nothing, but if your program is lopsided, meaning lacking in one area or another, your results will be affected.

Twenty years of dedicated exercise has taught me three principles that have kept me motivated over the years.