Is exercise necessary? The "important building blocks" for managing diabetes well
When you go to the hospital, you are told, "Please exercise."
Is exercise really that necessary?
Some of you may have that question.
Actually, I was full of questions too (laughs).
So, I will first introduce why exercise is necessary through my own experience.
Exercise for my daughter with heart disease?
When I first went to the hospital, what the doctor said was
"Please exercise"
a vague remark.
It is true that many people walk.
There are many people walking in my neighborhood as well.
Even so, if I tell my daughter to walk, she won't.
I bought her a balance ball so she could exercise, but she doesn't use it.
I myself didn't realize that exercise was that important, so I left it alone, thinking it couldn't be helped if she didn't want to do it.
Blood sugar levels rise when you eat sweets | A fact I learned from the results
One day, my daughter said she wanted to eat something sweet, and after I allowed it, thinking a little bit would be fine, her blood sugar level went up.
I think that is a natural result.
However, just because it is natural doesn't mean I can leave it alone.
After that, when she asked for a cream bun and I gave it to her, what stuck in the back of my mind was her blood sugar level.
No matter how you look at it, a rise in blood sugar is unavoidable.
So, I said to her, "If you eat that, please exercise."
My daughter obediently exercised after eating.
Thanks to that, her blood sugar level didn't rise that much.
What I learned from this is the importance of exercise.
So, why is it so necessary to exercise?
The hospital doesn't even teach you the necessity of it.
If you don't know the facts, you tend to take it lightly and overlook important things.
The necessity of exercise
So, here comes the AI again.
Why is exercise necessary?
I asked it that.
🟩Why is exercise necessary?
It has the effect of lowering blood sugar levels
→ Muscles "use" glucose = sugar in the blood decreasesImproves insulin sensitivity
→ Your body becomes "more responsive" to the same amount of insulinEffective for preventing post-meal hyperglycemia
→ Light exercise within 30 minutes to 1 hour after a meal is especially good
🟩What kind of exercise is good?
Walking, marching in place, or light cleaning and laundry are fine
→ Getting slightly out of breath is enough. Excessive exercise can be counterproductiveSmall, daily efforts are what matter
→ If you can't do 30 minutes at once, 10 minutes x 3 times is also fine
🟩When is it effective to do it?
The most effective time is "after a meal"
→ Moving lightly within 30 minutes after a meal can suppress the rise in blood sugarHowever, avoid it when your blood sugar is too high (over 250) or too low!
→ Pushing yourself can be dangerous (risk of coma or ketoacidosis)
🟩Who is this suitable for?
"People whose blood sugar levels don't stabilize with diet restrictions alone"
"People who want to reduce their insulin dosage even a little"
"People who aren't good at exercise but can move a little in their daily life"
"People who find it difficult to go outside" → Indoor marching or stretching is fine!
🟩What are the points to keep in mind?
Don't overdo it (rest when you are tired or have a fever)
Check your blood sugar levels before taking action
Always carry glucose with you if there is a risk of hypoglycemia
Be careful of dehydration (especially in the summer)
Exercise doesn't have to mean "walking"
The answer was that exercise is not about doing something "special," but rather "using your body just a little bit."
Also, building muscle increases the effectiveness of insulin.
If you really can't do much, even just moving your limbs slightly while lying down counts as "proper exercise."
When we think of exercise, we tend to think we "have to walk" or "have to do gymnastics," but it seems important to do what you can without pushing yourself.
Let's manage it "without strain" and "at ease."
Even if you can't do it every day, consistency will protect your body.