Exercises: Special Precautions for Diabetes Patients

Duration, regularity and intensity of exercise all play an equally important role. Aerobic exercising for half an hour continuously is sufficient. However, Diabetics need to take special precautions before and while exercising.

• During exercise heartbeat goes up for a few minutes and sweat appears.
• After fifteen minutes of workout measure your heart beats per minute.
• It should be 75 % of the maximum heartbeat for your age.
• If there is any constriction or pain around the neck and chest, then immediately stop exercising.

Maximal Exercise Heart Rate By Age

Age Predicted Maximal 75% Maximal
15 193 145
20 191 143
25 189 142
30 186 140
35 184 138
40 182 137
45 180 135
50 178 134
55 175 131
60 173 130
65 171 128

Precautions

Diabetics need to take following precautionary measures before exercising.

• People who have developed severe diabetic complications should avoid exercising.
• Feet should be daily examined for cuts, blisters and infections.
• Select clothing to suit the nature of the exercise and climate. It is better to under-dress than over-dress because with every exercise the body temperature rises. In summer wear light colored cotton clothes.
• Avoid straining during exercising. Overstraining is indicated when even 5 minutes after exercising, breathing and pulse rate do not return to normal. Blood sugar level may drop sharply with too much of exercising.
• Diabetics with a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol should strictly avoid strenuous exercises. It is always essential that these patients take expert advice.
• Before starting an exercise program; all diabetic patients should undergo an eye examination. Retinopathy is a serious long-term complication of diabetes and goes undetected. Such patients should avoid sudden jerky movement because it may damage the blood vessels and cause bleeding in their retina.
• Hypoglycemia should also be avoided before exercising. So eating adequate carbohydrate before exercise is important.

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