Exercise is one of the most important factors in preventing and managing diabetes. The benefits of consistent exercise for diabetics includes (but is not limited to!) lowered blood glucose levels and improved Hemoglobin A1C. Improving Hemoglobin A1C levels may result in a decreased dosage of diabetes medications and insulin taken on a daily basis.
If lowered blood glucose and reduction in medication didn’t grab you, running consistently is proven to help with weight management. Not to mention, consistent exercise is linked with decreased risk for both heart disease and stroke! Thinking twice about starting that summer exercise routine yet?Here are a few tips for diabetics to get the benefits of a healthy running program:
1) Get Your Doctor’s Advice. Individuals with diabetes should speak with their healthcare providers if they want to increase from walking to running, to make sure they are not at risk for additional problems. This is especially important for Type 1 Diabetics as exercise may result in insulin adjustments.
2) Walk Before You Run. It is very important to ease into the sport to prevent future injuries. Therefore, start with purposeful walking (30 minutes or so) and gradually increase to jogging, and then running. We all have to start somewhere!
3) Wear the Right Footwear. We cannot emphasize the importance of wearing appropriate shoes and inserts ENOUGH! This is vital for preventing injuries each and every day. It’s easy to forget (and neglect) what allows us to stay active and on to our next venture. After all, the root of what keeps us stable, upright, and moving, is our feet.
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