Diabetes and Physical Activity

I am generally a very organized person, but sometimes my organized life gets a little backed up. Today I am working on sorting mounds of papers I have managed to collect over the past couple months. I sort all my papers into different binders. Some of the binders include: Bills, Student Loans, Weight Watchers, Our Health, Pet's Health, and Health. My Health binder has different tabs for different subjects including: Healthy Weight, Food, Nutritional Values, Diabetes (of course), Heart, Skin, Mental, Women's Health and Men's Health.

While sorting all my health related paperwork I came across this and I thought I would share.

"10 Helpful Things to Know About Physical Activity"

1. Why its good to get moving.
           Physical activity can help you burn calories and sugar, and lose weight if necessary.

2. Lower your blood sugar levels.
           Exercise requires your muscles to work harder, pulling the stored sugar out which results in
           lower blood levels.

3. Help your body use insulin more efficiently.
           Your muscles and other tissues are able to use insulin more easily because of exercise. Less
           insulin is needed to move sugar out of the blood and into the muscle cells because of physical
           activity.

4. Improve your overall health.
            Regular physical activity has been shown to help protect against heart disease and stroke.
            Exercise also helps reduce stress and manage your weight.

5. Be smart and play it safe.
             Discuss with your doctor and health care team an exercise program that's right for you.
             Don't over do it, you should be able to talk while exercising. Stop if you don't feel well or
             feel pain. Drink plenty of water. Carry glucose tablets or other snacks with you in case your
             blood sugar drops too low. And do an exercise you enjoy.

6. You've already got what it takes.
             Even a little bit of physical activity can improve your health.
             Take the stairs, park far away in the parking lot so you have further to walk, exercise during
             commercials, take a walk around your neighborhood.

7. Walk whenever you can.
              Walking is one of the best ways to improve your healthy and get in shape. Walk with a
              friend or your dog. Wear a pedometer to track your steps. Set a goal for yourself, once
              you've met that goal, set another higher goal!

8. Put together a plan.
               Determine your current fitness level. Eat healthy and properly. Set realistic goals.
               Monitor your blood sugar levels and you may need to adjust your insulin amounts.

9. Watch your blood sugar levels.
               Exercise, if you are not careful (and even when you are careful!) can cause hypoglycemia.
               Make sure to test your blood sugar level before engaging in any physical activity. Also be
               aware of how you feel during exercise, you may need to check it while you exercise. It is
               a good idea to check it again after exercise.

10. Keep track of your results. 
               Keeping track of your daily exercise will be a great motivator to keep going.