Always consult a health advisor if you are starting an exercise plan.

Any exercise or diet change regime for a person already suffering from diabetes or any disease should be discussed with your health advisor before any changes are made.

A healthy body comes from exercise and a healthy diet; diabetes prevention can be substantially aided by simply reducing the amount of sugar consumed.

healthy diet tips

Reducing or avoiding sweet soda drinks is one of the easiest steps - a healthy replacement is a simple cheap piece of fruit (healthy food can be cheap!); in hot climates where sweet drink consumption is high, drinking room level temperature water replaces the lost fluids with zero calories (even doing it once a week is a step forward).

Another tip is to eat well balanced meals - the body consumes energy at different rates throughout the day - avoiding breakfast and eating just one main meal in the evening is not healthy.

exercise - how?

Walking is a cheap way of exercise - just 20 minutes 3 times a week will help you keep trim - walking to the shops instead of taking a car or just avoiding using the car for 2 trips a week will start you in the exercise mood.

Other examples are jogging, gardening, hill climbing, walking-up stairs, swimming, cycling and heavy housework - exercise can be enjoyable and FREE!

Activity should be moderate and increased over a period of time to your target.

You should be gently out of breath or building up a light sweat during exercise.

exercise - how much?

• 30 minutes at least 5 days a week is minimum
• 45-60 minutes at least 5 days a week should be done by those who are overweight or obese
• 60-90 minutes at least 5 days a week if you were overweight or obese and need to keep weight down

It is sensible for a type 1 diabetic to be examined before exercising so that a suitable programme can be followed. Study suggests that exercise can help control diabetic hypertension. It is now widely accepted that physical exercise can help prevent, delay and also manage type 2 diabetes.

It is motivating for diabetics that non-drug therapy can improve their blood pressure and therefore reduce the amount of medication they have to take. Aerobic exercising for half an hour continuously is sufficient. Diabetics with a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol should avoid strenuous exercises.

A diabetes identification bracelet or shoe tag should be clearly visible when exercising. Proper hydration is also essential, as dehydration can affect blood glucose levels and heart function adversely.