If you want to lose weight, move more
The exercise guidelines for healthy adults developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 5 days a week or at least 20 minutes 3 days a week. days of high-intensity aerobic exercise. Also emphasize strength training two days a week. This is similar to the moderate-intensity physical activity recommended by the "China Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Guidelines (2013 Edition)", which should be maintained at least 150 minutes/week.
Whether it is a healthy adult or a diabetic patient, 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity exercise is the basic amount of exercise to maintain health. Studies have shown that if factors such as genetics, age, gender, health status and other factors are fully considered, when the exercise time exceeds the recommended amount of exercise in the guideline, the benefits obtained by the patient will tend to gradually increase. Therefore, for those with diabetes who are losing weight, if you develop an exercise plan based on the standard of 150 minutes of exercise per week and fail to achieve the desired weight loss effect, then you need to consider extending the exercise time. For every diabetic patient, there is no unified standard for how long to extend it. It must be determined according to his or her condition, diet, and medication. In addition to maintaining the total time within a certain standard, the duration of each exercise should not be less than 10 minutes, and light physical activities in daily life should not be counted into the total exercise time.
Exercise also has “side effects”
Overweight or obese people with diabetes need to spend more time exercising if they want to lose weight. Along with the risks associated with diabetes, such as hypoglycemia, there is also the risk of joint damage during this process. A joint is the connection between two bones, such as the knee joint, elbow joint, and ankle joint. The two bones are not in direct contact, but are covered with cartilage and surrounded by a sac containing synovial fluid to reduce friction. In fact, any daily activity will put pressure on the joints, but the joints can bear this pressure. Long-term, high-intensity pressure or multiple, instantaneous twisting forces can damage joints, especially older people with diabetes. Therefore, increasing age and inappropriate activities will lead to aging and wear of adult joints. In more severe cases, arthritis will occur, severely limiting the patient's ability to move.
Among all joints, the bones of the lower limbs have a heavier task. They bear most of the weight of the human body, whether walking, running, or climbing stairs. When overweight or obese people exercise, the pressure on their lower limb bones is greater than that of people of normal weight. Taking walking as an example, in order to maintain the balance of the human body and complete walking movements, the angles of the ankle and hip joints of the lower limbs are somewhat different from those of people with normal weight, and the patella (commonly known as the kneecap), tibia (the bone on the inside of the lower leg), and foot bones are Under heavy load. Because overweight or obese people exercise for a longer time and more frequently when losing weight, their lower limb joints are under higher pressure for a long time and are more prone to wear and tear.
Protect your knees, exercise form is important
Overweight or obese people should try their best to choose exercises that do not increase or increase the weight-bearing on the knee joints. Some exercises may seem healthy, but are actually harmful to the knees.
Climbing or hiking. Climbing and hiking are very popular outdoor activities. It seems that enjoying nature and exercising can go hand in hand. In fact, when climbing up a mountain, whether climbing steps or walking on a natural mountain path, the knee joint needs to bear all the weight of the body. When going down a mountain, the knee joints work even harder. In addition to the original weight, they also have to bear the downward impact. Therefore, it is recommended that overweight or obese people with diabetes should choose carefully. If they must go, they should choose a place with a flatter mountain, prepare auxiliary equipment for mountain climbing (such as trekking poles), slow down on the way up and down the mountain, and be timely. Rest and avoid putting too much stress on your knees.
Treadmill running. Some people with diabetes like to run on indoor treadmills, which not only exercises their body but also avoids the interference of weather and restrictions on activity venues. Once the speed of the treadmill is set, it is a constant speed. Although the speed can be adjusted manually, it cannot automatically change according to human needs. People with diabetes may have this experience. When walking outdoors for exercise, if you walk quickly for a few hundred meters, then walk slowly for a while, then walk quickly, you will often not feel very tired. However, if you keep walking fast, you may not be able to last long. Therefore, running at a constant speed on a treadmill not only requires high endurance, but also leaves no opportunity for joints and muscles to rest and relax.
In addition to mountain climbing and treadmill running, some ball sports, such as tennis and badminton, require high physical flexibility. Overweight or obese people with diabetes should try to do as little as possible when they first start losing weight.
It is recommended that people with diabetes adopt swimming, water fitness, cycling and other sports. It is recommended that people with diabetes should do warm-up activities before starting exercise, such as moving their wrists and ankles, stretching their arms and legs, and moving their waist; after starting the exercise, start slowly and then quickly; during exercise, slow down or slightly slow down according to your physical condition. Take a rest and replenish water; after exercise, you also need to do stretching activities, gently tap the muscles of the thighs and calves with your hands or make a fist with your hands.
To protect joints, muscle strength is essential
To protect your joints, in addition to adopting correct exercise forms, you must also increase muscle strength. Weight training and resistance training are both muscle training methods.
Weight training. Weight training, also known as weight training, is a training method that can increase muscle strength and volume, and is also beneficial to fat loss and bone strengthening. According to the different parts of the exercise, the exercise methods are also different. For example, squats, frog jumps, step jumps, and weight-bearing running are often used to train leg strength. Some of these weight-bearing training programs are commonly used in athlete training and are not suitable for exercise by the general population. People with diabetes should consult a professional fitness coach before formulating an exercise plan and choose the appropriate weight-bearing training method according to their own needs. Although weight-bearing training has many benefits, if it is not trained properly, it can also cause great damage to the body. There are strict standards for whether the movements are standard, the number of training times, the interval between each set of movements, and the amount of weight. If overweight or obese people with diabetes want to do weight-bearing training, they should do so under the guidance of a professional fitness instructor.
Resistance training. The "China Type 2 Diabetes Exercise Guidelines (2013 Edition)" recommends that diabetic patients perform resistance training twice a week, including the major muscle groups of the upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk. There are three types of resistance training: isotonic training, isometric training and isokinetic training. Isotonic training can include lifting dumbbells (sugar patients can use mineral water bottles filled with water instead at home), lifting heavy objects, pulling springs or elastic bands, push-ups, etc. Isometric training means that the length of the muscles does not shorten during training, so it is also called static exercise and requires professional guidance. Isokinetic training means that the speed of movement remains unchanged, and the resistance of the equipment is proportional to the strength of the practitioner. It requires the use of professional isokinetic training equipment and is often used for passive rehabilitation training of post-stroke patients. Therefore, lifting dumbbells, pulling elastic bands, push-ups, and planks are all better choices for people with diabetes.