Pages

Type 2 Diabetes - Does Lack of Exercise Affect Your Body?

A sedentary lifestyle has long been linked with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Genetic inheritance causes Type 2 diabetes. However, factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, and sometimes the stress of surgery, interacts with your genetic risk to trigger this disease.

Not taking part in exercise or physical activity contributes to a lower quality of life and makes it more difficult for you to control both your weight and blood sugar. It is one factor that you can change immediately.

Researchers at the Centre for Exercise at the University of Bristol in the UK looked at sedentary time and periods of physical activity in relation to health factors in people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.


Now this study was published in the journal Diabetologia in January 2012 and included:

    528 adults with Type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in a dietary and exercise program.

Look at these results! Each hour of time without physical activity was associated with:

    a larger waist size,
    higher levels of blood insulin,
    high LDL cholesterol levels, and
    higher blood sugar.

A larger waist size is an indicator of more abdominal or belly fat, which does more than spoil your figure...

    the fat you can grab with your hands is subcutaneous fat.
    visceral fat, the fat you cannot feel with your hands, provides necessary cushioning around your abdominal organs. Excess visceral fat secretes inflammatory compounds that leads to insulin resistance and various cancers.

Unfortunately, belly fat is important in regulating blood sugar levels, and can be a real detriment in preventing and controlling Type 2 diabetes.

Higher levels of blood insulin indicates your body is producing more insulin to try to overcome insulin resistance, which is the cause of Type 2 diabetes.

LDL cholesterol is the kind associated with heart and blood vessel disease, heart attacks, and strokes, and should be kept as low as possible.

From the above results and information it was concluded sedentary time was associated with poorer measures of health.

In the computer age sedentary lifestyle is a fact of life, but so is leisure time in most cases...

    a brisk walk during lunchtime or before or after work is a good way to get some physical activity as well as clearing away the mental cobwebs.
    on weekends and holidays make it a point to keep up the daily walk.
    while waiting for a plane make it a point to take a stroll around the airport instead of getting bored sitting at the gate for hours.
    plan a trip which involves hiking in some interesting places.
    cycling is a good way to get to the daily grind. It provides exercise while keeping down your carbon footprint. It's also great for your heart and legs. See where you can find along a bike trail. Bicycles make good gifts for the whole family, and exploring the trails makes for good companionship.
    a few hours each week at a gym, with or without a trainer, can help you feel better and help keep your weight and blood sugar levels under control. Some gyms include pools, and swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise, as well as being fun.

Excessive weight around the abdominal area can almost always be controlled by a regular program of exercise and a healthy eating plan. And guess what, due to increased insulin sensitivity, your blood sugar will be lower!

How do you start to create a healthy lifestyle today so you can avoid problems arising from high blood sugar?


Article Source: Beverleigh H Piepers

3 comments:

  1. Interesting layout on your blog. I really enjoyed reading it,I agree with you that health and fitness is actual help to improve their health. I will be back to read more in the future.

    Orange County Diabetes Fitness

    ReplyDelete
  2. Totally agree with you that cycling is one of the best ways to get to the daily grind. The stress, long hours, and sedentary nature of our modern office job are sucking the life out of us. And everyone knows that! I want to advice you to read the article written by Agatha Singer, click here to find it. It is about sedentary jobs and health risks. It's really worth reading!

    ReplyDelete