Exercise for people with diabetes not only helps control blood glucose but also provides other health benefits:① Promotes weight loss and helps maintain an ideal body weight;② Lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, helping regulate blood lipids;③ Enhances cardiopulmonary endurance;④ Increases muscle and vascular elasticity, helping to lower blood pressure;⑤ Improves blood circulation;⑥ Boosts self-confidence and improves quality of life.
Most importantly, a Japanese survey study involving 1,700 patients with diabetes aged 40–70 years divided participants into the highest and lowest physical activity groups.The highest activity group was equivalent to walking briskly at 6 km/h for about 70 minutes per day, or swimming for 30–40 minutes per day.The lowest activity group engaged in almost no exercise beyond work and daily activities.
After 8 years of follow-up, the group with the highest activity level had a risk of death from complications such as myocardial infarction about 47% that of the least active group, and a risk of stroke only about 57% that of the latter group.This clearly demonstrates that exercise reduces mortality.
Exercise methods and routines vary among individuals, resulting in different levels of physical activity.Understanding your current physical activity level provides direction for setting future exercise goals.If you already have an exercise routine, please maintain it long-term.If you do not yet exercise regularly, set goals and increase activity gradually and step by step.