Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. On the downside, that means anyone can get it. And you’re most susceptible if the disease’s common risk factors apply to you. On the upside, it is preventable. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, chances are you’ll be spared from this medical condition. Or, at the very least, you can delay its onset.
Either of those two scenarios is important. That’s because diabetes is a debilitating disease. If left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications. You may suffer from cardiovascular diseases and nerve damage. If worse comes to worst, your kidney might fail, and you’ll need to frequently visit a clinic with top-notch dialysis management solutions. Topnotch because anything less than that will be a waste of your money.
Alternatively, you can eliminate the possibility of diabetes-triggered health complications by committing to an active lifestyle. Here’s how exercise safeguards you from diabetes.
Exercise gets rid of excess glucose
The accumulation of excess glucose in your bloodstream leads to high sugar levels. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, this excess glucose has nowhere to go. Your organs and muscles don’t need them. So they stay in your bloodstream, and they exacerbate your susceptibility to clogged veins and arteries.
That’s easily solved by exercise. The minute your body becomes active, it needs all the energy it can get. Any surplus glucose you have in your body will be consumed.
Exercise improves your mood
Are you prone to overeating when you’re sad? Exercise will do wonders for your mood. When you’re active and sweating out, your brain releases happy hormones like endorphins. That’s why avid gym-goers attest to that high they get after exercising.
Once you manage your mood better, you’ll manage your eating habits better too. You will stop overeating. You will maintain your sugar levels as prescribed by your doctor. And you’ll be less susceptible to contracting type 2 diabetes. Or if you’re already living with the disease, at least its symptoms will be kept at bay. You get to spare yourself from potential health complications, too.
Exercise spares you from health complications triggered by diabetes
Diabetes makes you more at risk of cardiovascular and nerve damage. You can address those risks by exercising regularly, which releases beneficial compounds to all parts of your body.
Exercise improves your circulatory processes. That means you can prevent nerve damage. It’s also great for joint health. Also, your heart gets a boost from the sufficient oxygen it gets when you’re active, making you less prone to a heart attack. And lastly, you reduce inflammation in your body, which is the number one cause of cognitive and organ deterioration.
Exercise boosts your metabolism
Diabetes is closely related to your metabolism. If your metabolic processes are a-okay, you’re less likely to contract the disease. If your metabolism’s unreliable, you’re more prone to diabetes. This is where muscles come in. They are crucial to keeping your metabolism reliable. Muscles absorb up to 80 percent of your bloodstream’s glucose. The fewer muscles you have, the less glucose absorption. They remain in your bloodstream.
Here exercise is crucial. It helps you build muscles. Those muscles become your defense from high sugar levels in your bloodstream. And your insulin receptors work harder.
Exercise dissolves visceral fat
Visceral fat is that chunky and bouncy thing in your tummy. It makes your abdominal area look round and squishy, like a pillow. Not only is it aesthetically unflattering, but it’s also quite risky health-wise.
Your visceral fat releases chemicals that make your metabolic processes go bonkers. Before you know it, you’re finding it hard to make the most of the food you eat. Also, it makes your body insulin resistant. That easily leads to type 2 diabetes. With proper and regular exercise, such as resistance training, you can get rid of your visceral fat.
In 2018, 10.5 percent of the entire American population had diabetes. That’s a staggering number. It shows how prevalent this condition is. And you are not immune to this lifestyle disease. That is unless you decide to lead a healthy lifestyle not later but now.
Cut down your consumption of unhealthy food, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Quit or minimize drinking and smoking. Make it a habit to meditate and reduce stress as much as you can. Sleep right. And most importantly, exercise regularly.
The benefits of exercise outweigh whatever sacrifices you need to make to adhere to a fitness regimen. And you won’t only be addressing diabetes if you stay active. You’ll be warding off a horde of other medical conditions, too.
