Opinions vary on the best time for people with diabetes to exercise.Some say that 4:00–6:00 p.m. is the golden period for exercise, when coordination of muscles and joints is strongest, and heart rate and blood pressure are relatively stable.Blood pressure is higher in the early morning, so exercise is not recommended at that time.
However, since the optimal time may differ for different types of exercise, there is no fixed standard.For example, you do not have to set aside a special time for walking.For the elderly, shopping in supermarkets can also be a form of exercise, which can be arranged according to daily life and work.
For jogging, it is generally believed that morning jogging — after getting up and drinking a glass of warm water — helps with fat loss.Other exercises such as table tennis require partners, so the time can be flexible as long as there is enough light.In China, middle-aged and elderly people usually practice Tai Chi and aerobic dance in the afternoon or after dinner.
Outdoor exercise in sunlight helps the body synthesize vitamin D, delaying the development of osteoporosis and muscle loss.Elderly people with diabetes are advised to go outdoors to get some sunlight and exercise at the same time.
Exercise is NOT recommended in the following situations:
Just after a meal or when emotionally agitated
Severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Complicated with acute infection
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases (unstable angina, serious arrhythmia, transient ischemic attack, etc.)