Exercise for Type 2 diabetes. Whats works for you?

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pennell12
pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
Hi all,

I have been doing low carb and trying to get in more exercise for the past month. My BS numbers seem to be coming down albeit slowly. Just got a reading of 155 after one hour of water aerobics. I know this isn't a great number but its the lowest reading I have had since I started this plan.

I was wondering if anyone here would like to share what is working for them exercise-wise.

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Replies

  • Time2LoseWeightNOW
    Time2LoseWeightNOW Posts: 1,730 Member
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    I've managed to get in some bike riding everyday at the gym at work. I would love to have somewhere to get in some water aerobics.
  • phxteach
    phxteach Posts: 309 Member
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    I have a home treadmill, so that makes it easier. I had a doc write a medical necessity note and that made it more affordable! I know if I have to leave the house, it will not get done - too many distractions and commitments. I have a set of uplifting tunes paced to gear me up to a good workout - for me. I'm jealous -- water sounds so nice. It's 116 today. Yours is a good question, but a better one: what do you like to do? do you have or need a partner or is it solo?
  • kevin75626
    kevin75626 Posts: 10 Member
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    My go to is the elliptical. I try to do 20-30 mins 3 times a week. It has made a big difference in my BS numbers.
  • phxteach
    phxteach Posts: 309 Member
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    oh, pennell12, I see you are a teacher. Do you teach where there is a track field? I know some ladies at my school do a deliberate walk up and down the stairs and it doubles an unofficial security watch at the same time. Also, exercise can make your glucose go up temporarily but down in a couple of hours and that effect lasts for a day or so. You might want to test pre-exercise and post to see how much your variance is.
  • stephenrhinton
    stephenrhinton Posts: 522 Member
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    I swim almost every day, and it is a huge help ...and I don't feel sweaty/dirty at the end.

    In muscle cells, contraction activates the same glucose receptors that insulin normally does. So it is a great way to get excess glucose out of the bloodstream circumventing low insulin or insulin resistance. So the best exercises for a diabetic are long interval repetitive motion exercises. Pretty much any cardio endurance workout. Strength training, High Intensity Interval training and Balance/Flexibility Isometric training are less effective. (For glucose management ... they have other benefits for general health, fitness, metabolism, etc).
  • Lizzym911
    Lizzym911 Posts: 301 Member
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    I ride my exercise bike 20 minutes after lunch and 20 mins after dinner. It helps but wasn't riding it for awhile because of a bad knee but I'm determined ,pain or not.
  • KenSmith108
    KenSmith108 Posts: 1,966 Member
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    I usually walk for a 1/2 hour on the way home from work. The park is my favorite, the gym is my backup.
  • mrron2u
    mrron2u Posts: 919 Member
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    I usually walk for a 1/2 hour on the way home from work. The park is my favorite, the gym is my backup.
    I like the way Ken thinks - I'd trade an hour doing something like walking or riding my bike outdoors for anything indoors at a gym. That being said I just joined my gym again, and will be trying to add in weights (something I guess I have to do indoors).

  • pennell12
    pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
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    I swim almost every day, and it is a huge help ...and I don't feel sweaty/dirty at the end.

    In muscle cells, contraction activates the same glucose receptors that insulin normally does. So it is a great way to get excess glucose out of the bloodstream circumventing low insulin or insulin resistance. So the best exercises for a diabetic are long interval repetitive motion exercises. Pretty much any cardio endurance workout. Strength training, High Intensity Interval training and Balance/Flexibility Isometric training are less effective. (For glucose management ... they have other benefits for general health, fitness, metabolism, etc).

    Wow! This is really interesting. The water aerobic session last night was all about contractions-- the Ibstructor had us "hold in and squeeze" different muscle groups. Maybe that's why I am seeing the impact.

    What are some other examples of "long interval repetitive motion exercises"??

  • stephenrhinton
    stephenrhinton Posts: 522 Member
    edited August 2015
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    pennell12 wrote: »

    What are some other examples of "long interval repetitive motion exercises"??

    Swimming, Biking, Hiking, Running (walking), Rowing, Cross-Country Skiing, Elliptical, Stairmaster, Dancing, and many Aerobic Fitness classes. Anything where you 'just keep going' for a long time with very few or very short breaks.

    Things that DON'T fall into this category would be Weight-Lifting, Circuit Training, Pilates, Yoga, and High Intensity Interval Aerobics. And again, these exercises all do have plenty of benefits. They are just less optimal from a glucose-management standpoint.

    In fact in about 2 hours I'm going to try my first ever pilates class. This is part of my 'shake it up and try different stuff' routine. About one day in 8 I try to do a new class or exercise or one that I do infrequently. And about 1 day in 8 I take a day off. Otherwise I swim, swim, swim (slowly).
  • pennell12
    pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
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    Thanks for the list! I have been doing a little yoga, too! Good luck with the Pilates :)
  • stephenrhinton
    stephenrhinton Posts: 522 Member
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    KeithF6250 wrote: »

    Interesting article, but it is focused on the metabolism of fat by exercise. But for diabetes management I'd be more interested in a similar article focusing on the metabloization of glucose in the same process.
  • CrisEBTrue
    CrisEBTrue Posts: 454 Member
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    I joined a gym in May of this year.
    My Medicare health insurance includes a Silver Sneakers plan that is free to me.
    I'm in diabetes med limbo right now, so my numbers are not optimum.

    I am more likely to get out and go to the gym 3-4 times a week than I am to do regular outdoor walking.
    If we were still in California, that would not be a problem. But here in NC it varies wildly from humid and hot to bitterly cold, rainy.. you name it.

    Going to the gym eliminates the option of using weather as an excuse to not exercise. ;)
    I go, I do my thing, I come home. It gets me out of the house....

    Mostly I use the stationary bike, and I can see improvement from that.

  • KenSmith108
    KenSmith108 Posts: 1,966 Member
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    CrisEBTrue wrote: »
    I joined a gym in May of this year.
    My Medicare health insurance includes a Silver Sneakers plan that is free to me.
    I'm in diabetes med limbo right now, so my numbers are not optimum.

    I am more likely to get out and go to the gym 3-4 times a week than I am to do regular outdoor walking.
    If we were still in California, that would not be a problem. But here in NC it varies wildly from humid and hot to bitterly cold, rainy.. you name it.

    Going to the gym eliminates the option of using weather as an excuse to not exercise. ;)
    I go, I do my thing, I come home. It gets me out of the house....

    Mostly I use the stationary bike, and I can see improvement from that.

    I like the ex-bike too, I have to lose a little more weight so I can get on gracefully.
  • cloudy68
    cloudy68 Posts: 65 Member
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    I, too, have used weather as an excuse for not exercising - too hot, too cold, too windy so when the doctor told me I had to exercise 5x per week, I joined the Y Silver Sneaker program but my insurance covers nothing so I have to pay the full
    cost!!! Expensive but so is going to Starbucks every day. I love their circuit aerobic classes and that is how I begin each day
  • pennell12
    pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
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    KeithF6250 wrote: »

    Interesting article, but it is focused on the metabolism of fat by exercise. But for diabetes management I'd be more interested in a similar article focusing on the metabloization of glucose in the same process.

    Yes, I would, too!

  • pennell12
    pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
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    cloudy68 wrote: »
    I, too, have used weather as an excuse for not exercising - too hot, too cold, too windy so when the doctor told me I had to exercise 5x per week, I joined the Y Silver Sneaker program but my insurance covers nothing so I have to pay the full
    cost!!! Expensive but so is going to Starbucks every day. I love their circuit aerobic classes and that is how I begin each day

    I guess we all have to just get up and get going. It isn't easy but its good 4 us!

  • stephenrhinton
    stephenrhinton Posts: 522 Member
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    CrisEBTrue wrote: »
    I joined a gym in May of this year.
    But here in NC it varies wildly from humid and hot to bitterly cold, rainy.. you name it.

    Yup we get all 4 seasons ....every month.

    Im in NC too and love Gold's Gym for the pool
  • CrisEBTrue
    CrisEBTrue Posts: 454 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Yup we get all 4 seasons ....every month.

    :D

    Very true!