Sometimes, it may seem easier to take a pill or even an insulin
injection than to put on your walking shoes and hit the trail. But
the truth is that exercise, in combination with a healthy diet, is
one of the best things you can do to take care of yourself if you
have diabetes.
 New research shows that people with Type 2 diabetes
may be able to improve their health-related quality of life by
getting fit.
Dr. Wendy L. Bennett and her colleagues at John Hopkins
University School of Medicine in Baltimore investigated whether
reduced fitness or increased fatness accounted for the decrease in
health-related quality of life seen in Type 2 diabetics. The
investigators concluded that people with Type 2 diabetes do benefit
from physical activity.
Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, Lee Physician Group and Medical
Director of The Wellness Centers of LMHS, provides his diabetic
patients with an exercise prescription that includes 60 minutes per
day, as recommended by the American Heart Association. You can
alternate brisk walking with swimming or bike riding or other forms
of aerobic exercise that you enjoy. Light weight lifting should also
be part of your daily exercise routine. “It is OK if you want to do
30 minutes
twice daily, as this is just as effective as 60 minutes
continuously. The
important things is to exercise daily,” says Dr. Lacagnina.
If you would like to learn more about fitness, or for
information about Lee Memorial Health System's Wellness Centers,
click here.
The LMHS wellness centers are the only medically-based fitness
centers in Lee County. |
