EXERCISE AND DIABETES

At least 10 million Americans at high risk for type-2 diabetes can sharply lower their chances of getting the disease with diet and exercise. This was the finding of a major clinical trial released recently by the National Institute of Health.  Participants randomly assigned to lifestyle intervention reduced their risk of getting type-2 diabetes by 58%, compared to only a 31% reduction for those treated with metformin.

If you already have diabetes, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to stay - or begin to be - active. A regular exercise program can help stabilize your blood sugar, reduce your need for insulin and medication, and keep your weight under control. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, but exercise can lower it. Best of all, exercise helps you get more out of life.

Exercise Benefits for people with diabetes include:

Improved glucose utilization. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity causing glucose levels to decrease. The ADA says that strength training is critical to improving glucose clearance. After 4 months of strength training glucose metabolism typically improves by about 20%.

Weight loss. Exercise burns calories directly, and indirectly as well, by increasing your basic metabolic rate as your muscles get bigger. Muscles are the furnace by which calories are burned.

Psychological benefits. Improvements in mood, self-esteem, and quality of life are particularly important for people who have a chronic disease such as diabetes. Exercise allows patients to take an active, positive role in the management of their disease.

Decreased cardiac risk. Since most people with diabetes die from cardiovascular disease, the greatest benefit to patients who exercise may be in reduced cardiac risk. Patients with type 2 diabetes have a twofold to fourfold increase in such risk. Regular physical activity strengthens the heart and causes the veins and arteries to grow larger and more supple. As a result blood lipid profiles improve, and blood pressure is reduced.

Personal Training Associates works one-on-one with its clients, either in their homes or in one of our semi-private studios, to recommend exercise programs and to assist in their execution. We begin by asking a series of questions about your health and fitness background, develop with you appropriate set of goals, and then design the best exercise program for getting you where you need to go. We will teach the precise method for performing each exercise, and for gauging the proper level of intensity. The goal is to integrate safe, efficient, exercise into your daily routine, so that you can get the benefits of being active for the rest of your life.

The first consultation is free of charge or any obligation. Please give us a call 703-904-0053 if you have any questions, or to schedule your free consultation.