Exercise

                                                                                        (Google Clip Art, 2012)



Sweat it out! Exercise and Diabetes:

Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, regular exercise is important. Also maintaining your weight helps manage your blood sugar. For type 1 diabetics, blood sugar response to exercise will vary depending on

Your blood glucose levels before starting exercise

How intense your exercise is

The length of time you exercise

Changes you have made in insulin doses

If you have had a snack prior to exercising
(American Diabetes Association, n.d.)

Often children and adolescents experience a drop in blood sugar during exercise, therefore, it is important to monitor your blood sugar and be prepared to treat low blood sugars. The recommended amount of exercise in children with diabetes whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes is the same in all children which is 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily (Tran & Galassetti, 2014).

What activities can I do?

There are many ways you can be active. Pick things you like to do.

Take a walk, hike, or ride a bike.

Skateboard, roller blade, or ice skate.

Play some music and dance with your friends. If you like video games, try a dance or other active video game.

Play basketball, baseball, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, or your favorite sport.

Lift weights (carefully) to strengthen your muscles.

Try yoga, tai chi, karate, or jiu-jitsu.
(National Diabetes Education Program, n.d)

Video:

Here is a short video which describes seven ways exercise can help with diabetes.

Recommendations:

Remember to exercise daily! The benefits of exercise and regular physical activity for children and adolescents who are diabetic can help tremendously. Exercise can help you lose weight, stay fit, and most importantly manage your blood sugars especially if you are type 2 diabetic. If you are playing sports remind your coaches and other personnel that you have diabetes so if you experience a low blood sugar during exercise it can be treated.
                                               
                                
                                               References


American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Exercise and type 1 diabetes.

Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/exercise-and-type-1-diabetes.html

Diabetes Diet Curves. [Diabetes diet curves]. (2011, July, 3). Seven ways exercise is good for diabetes & can reverse insulin resistance. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1v8TEDS29E

Google Clip Art (2012). [jpeg]. Children exercising. Retrieved from http://abcnewsradioonline.com/health-news/twenty-minutes-of-exercise-cuts-kids-diabetes-risk.html

National Diabetes Education Program (n.d.) Tips for teens with Diabetes: Be active. Retrieved from http://ndep.nih.gov/publications/PublicationDetail.aspx?PubId=99

Tran, B. D., & Galassetti, P. (2014). Exercise in pediatric type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Exercise Science, 26(4), 375-383. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1123/pes.2014-0066