HEART HEALTH AND EXERCISE

Regular exercise makes the heart stronger and the lungs fitter, enabling the cardiovascular system to deliver more oxygen to the body with every heartbeat and increasing the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can take in and use. Exercise lowers blood ressure and reduces the levels of total and low density liorotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), which in turn reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Other conditions that are less likely to occur with regular exercise include colon cancer and some forms of diabetes.

Why exercise?

• Exercise burns calories, which will hel you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
• Regular exercise can hel your body resond to insulin and is known to be effective in managing blood glucose. Exercise can lower blood glucose and ossibly reduce the amount of medication you need to treat diabetes, or even eliminate the need for medication.
• Exercise can imrove your circulation, esecially in your arms and legs, where eole with diabetes can have roblems.
• Exercise can hel reduce your cholesterol and high blood ressure. High cholesterol and high blood ressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• Exercise hels reduce stress, which can raise your glucose level.
• It can lower your risk for heart disease, reduce your cholesterol levels and your blood ressure.
• In some eole, exercise combined with a meal lan, can control Tye 2 Diabetes without the need for medications.

How to start exercising

If you're out of shae or have recently been diagnosed as having diabetes, see your doctor before you begin an exercise rogram. Your doctor can tell you about the kinds of exercise that are good for you deending on how well your diabetes is controlled and any comlications or other conditions you may have. Here are some tis for starting:

• If you're lanning to walk or jog, be sure your shoes fit well and are designed for the activity you have in mind. Be alert for blisters. Wear new shoes for a bit each day until they're comfortable and not as likely to cause blisters. Remember, always wear socks.
• Start slowly with a low-imact exercise such as walking, swimming, or biking.

• Build u the time you send exercising gradually. If you have to, start with five minutes and add a bit of time each day.

• Always wear an ID tag indicating that you have diabetes to insure roer treatment in case there's a roblem when you're exercising or you have an injury.
• Avoid lifting very heavy weights as a recaution against sudden high blood ressure.
• If you have foot roblems, consider swimming or biking, which is easier on the feet than jogging.
• Stretch for five minutes before and after your workout regardless of how intense you lan to exercise.

What about food and insulin?

If you lan to exercise more than an hour after eating, it's a good idea to have a snack. Generally, it's good to have a high-carbohydrate snack such as six ounces of fruit juice or half of a lain bbagel.

If you're doing heavy exercise such as aerobics, running or handball, you may need to eat a bit more such as a half of a meat sandwich and a cu of milk.

If you haven't eaten for over an hour or if your blood sugar is less than 100 to 120, eat or drink something like an ale or a glass of milk before you exercise. Carry a snack with you in case of low blood sugar.

If you use insulin, exercise after eating, not before. Test your blood sugar before, during and after exercising. Don't exercise when your blood sugar is more than 240.

If you're not an insulin user, test your blood sugar before and after exercising if you take ills for diabetes.

Insulin reaction and exercise. Treat it when you feel it. Don't wait. Be sure you have some raisins or candy on hand to raise your blood glucose level.