Expert Tips to Include Exercise to Help with Diabetes Management - Exercise Right Week

This week is Exercise Right Week, and we have 3 exercise specialists provide invaluable tips to help with including exercise as part of your diabetes management.

Most people are aware that exercise is important for diabetes control and well-being health.. YET only 15% of Australian adults meet physical activity guidelines that include both aerobic exercise and strength training.

To help with this, we asked a panel of exercise specialists to help answer the following question:

What advice would you give to those who "know" that exercise should be part of their lifestyle, but struggle to include it in their day, or their week.

What suggestions would you give for getting started, and maintaining momentum?

Associate Professor Jason Bennie, a physical activity epidemiologist offers the following advice:

Where to start?

If you are currently doing no exercise, even small increases in your exercise habits are likely to have positive health benefits. In fact, research shows that the most health benefits of exercise occur among those who going from currently doing none to some exercise.

What is the best form of exercise?

The latest research indicates that a combination of both aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, cycling and running) and strength training (e.g. use of weight machines, push-ups, sit-ups) has favorable effects on many health outcomes. Including a reduced risk of early death and diabetes, and the likelihood of being obese, having depression, and poor cardio-metabolic health. It is also likely that doing both aerobic and strength training will enhance your sleep health.

Start slow and build-up

The current physical activity guidelines recommend that adults should be doing aerobic exercise for 150 minutes or more per week, and 2 or more strength training sessions per week. Don’t worry if you are not meeting these guidelines. The best way is to start is to choose activities that you enjoy. This way, you are more likely to stick to an active lifestyle.

While the results may not be immediately obvious, there is strong scientific evidence that if you adhere to an active lifestyle over time, it will greatly enhance your health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life.

About Jason:

Associate Professor Jason Bennie is a physical activity epidemiologist currently working at the University of Southern Queensland. His research focus is on physical activity and public health, with a particular emphasis on muscle-strengthening exercise for chronic disease prevention/management.

Twitter: @jasonbennie

Further reading:

Bennie, J.A., Shakespear-Druery, J. & De Cocker, K. Muscle-strengthening Exercise Epidemiology: a New Frontier in Chronic Disease Prevention. Sports Med - Open 6, 40 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-00271-w

Louisa Skiaris (AEP, AES, ESSAM), an Accredited Exercise Physiologist from Exercise for Rehabilitation & Health has provided the following advice:

1. When it comes to exercise motivation, surround your goals with positive, self directed reasons. For example, think about what you are gaining or improving from exercise rather than what you are losing or reducing. The words we choose to use will affect our perception and emotional towards our goals, so make them exciting!

2. Track it! There are many great apps including the Health app, My Fitness Pal, STAVA, the list goes on which can help you keep accountable and self-reflect on the exercise you are completing. Tracking your exercises makes you more likely to reach your goals, motivates you and keeps you committed.

3. Always remember that something is better than nothing. Our own personal health journeys all begin at different starting lines. This way means that for you, a goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, for others it may be that you would like to explore the use of a gym for the first time in your life, or even return to a sport you have previously enjoyed. The list is endless and is a personalised experience.

About Louisa:

Louisa from Exercise for Rehabilitation & Health is well recognised for her interest in exercise for diabetes, weight management and cardiovascular conditions. She has made many community contributions but ultimately her approach is to help you develop a deeper understanding of why your goals are important to you, to establish the pathway to help you reach your desired outcomes and support you throughout the process.

Kale Frost,  Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) at the Kilmore Wellness Centre has provided the following advice:

Find something that you most enjoy. If you enjoy it, you are likely to do it more often and it will be a more sustainable option.

Walking is a popular activity because people enjoy being outdoors, it's free and it can be a form of transport. Other options might include; swimming or aquatic exercise, group fitness classes, home based resistance training, yoga and the list goes on. Experiment to find what works for you. exercise doesn’t have to take up your whole day, exercise bouts of at least 10 minutes have shown to provide health benefits!

Set an achievable goal and to start slowly. If we use walking as an example. Your goal  might be to complete 3 x 20 minute walks each week for 3 weeks. The goal should be specific and have a minimum time attached to it.

If you have met your goal after 3 weeks, It's important to progress it. Your new goal might  be to add an extra walk, add to the length of your walks or perhaps maybe both!

Exercise can lower blood glucose levels for up to 48 hours. When planning your exercise sessions aim to spread them out throughout the week to get the best effects! If you are time poor, try increasing the intensity of the sessions to get more out of them, however build this up slowly first.

Other ways to include exercise into your week and to improve your health include:

Increasing incidental exercise – park further away from your destination, walk to public transport, take the stairs instead of the lift etc.

Be more physically active – spend time outdoors with friends or in the garden, have a walking work meeting rather than sitting in the office.

Decrease time spent being sedentary – sit less and try and move more.

If you are having trouble getting started or you want some tailored advice, visiting an Accredited Exercise Physiologist would be a great idea! Having someone in your corner for continuous support can make a great difference!

About Kale:

Kale has a particular interest in Exercise for Diabetes and mental health and is currently undertaking postgraduate study to become a diabetes educator.