Diabetes and exercise is sometimes regarded as a cruel combination for the person diabetic, suffering from overweight, bloating, swelling, dizziness, and general malaise. As a diabetic you might ask, "how can I exercise when I feel this way? I'm too tired." If these questions crossed your mind, please be assured exercise can help and, more importantly, you can do it!



The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of exercise is to work until we drop: aerobics, jogging, or spending grueling hours at the gym. We get discouraged just thinking about it.

The good news is that the exercise merely requires that we increase our physical activity, we move, we do not sit at the computer or television all day. Everything we do that requires movement is exercise regardless of what it is. Instead think exercise is something that we hate, we can learn to change our mindset to start thinking that the exercise is a fundamental element of life and something that we can make love.

The key is to start slowly and build on our success. The good part is that, since the exercise is movement, it need not be a grueling training to do the job. Take a walk with your dog or your best friend and enjoy a wonderful experience outdoors. Instead of taking your car two blocks to the grocery store to pick up small objects, take a walk, exercise your muscles and keep your heart strong.

Whenever you can, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Even this exercise can be done in increments. If you live on the eighth floor for example, you might start by taking a flight of stairs and then the elevator, until you have accumulated enough stamina to attempt the second flight of stairs and so forth. Before you know books are melting away and you feel stronger maybe you've felt in years.

Most people like to listen to music. Why not take it a step further and dance to what you hear? If you love dancing, you can join a dance club, learn new movements, out dancing with your friends and have a good time. However, if you're the shy type or the type that falls on your own two feet do not let that stop you; dance in the privacy of your home. The dance in a new dynamic in good health! Diabetes and exercise, diabetes and dance, not that sound much better?

The above was just two examples to add exercise to your current situation. The key is to change your lifestyle. Do it slowly, not to rush; benefit from the experience. Diabetes and exercise is not a package to get a miserable but to make you healthier and happier. Once you start raising your level of exercise, you become more agile and flexible, feel less pain and lose weight. Whereas before you were too tired to do what you enjoyed doing so, you'll find yourself wanting to do more and more. Maybe it was the swimming, bowling or or gardening, you will once again feel strong and healthy enough to enjoy these activities.

Diabetes and exercise combination also has other health benefits. With an increase in exercise, you will lower your blood sugar, cholesterol maintain healthy levels and blood pressure, improve circulation, strengthen bones, muscles, lose weight, and increase heart, and lung capacity. From monitoring of diabetes and your exercise program can also help improve your quality of life, even if you've never been active or exercised before.