The Benefits Of An Active Lifestyle For Diabetics |
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Each year Americans spend billions of
dollars on nutritional supplements, searching for that magic
pill or potion that can help them lose weight, become more fit, stay
healthy, or look or feel better. But there is no such thing as a quick
fix. There is one habit—leading an active lifestyle—that comes as
close to that magic cure as we can get. People who
exercise regularly, when compared to those who
don't exercise, decrease their chances of developing diabetes by 30 to
50 percent. Can you believe it? Just by getting active, you can cut your
chances of developing diabetes in half. But how does exercise help?
Exercise works by improving your body's ability to use insulin. People
with type 2 diabetes tend to be insulin resistant, which means their
bodies don't use insulin efficiently. Exercise can change all that. Exercise can also reduce your body fat and prevent
the loss of muscle mass that occurs every year as you age. How does
this help? If you lose body fat, especially around your waistline, it
can decrease your chances of developing diabetes. Also, the more muscle
you have the more calories you burn because muscle burns more calories
than fat. So you can eat more and still lose or maintain your weight,
depending on what your goals are. On top of all that, leading an active lifestyle helps you look and
feel better. It causes cholesterol levels and blood pressure to drop.
When you're consistently active, you sleep better, manage your stress
better, have more energy to get things done, discover more
self-confidence in what you do, and feel better about your body So not
only does activity add years to your life by reducing your chances of
developing chronic diseases like diabetes, but it can add vitality to your years by
improving your outlook on life. So with all these benefits, why aren't we
consistently more active as a society? One main reason is because we
can't see and feel the benefits immediately. Other reasons are
embarrassment, lack of coordination, dislike for our body shape, lack
of time, or the initial discomfort of exercise. Yet, despite all these
reasons, we know the payoff is there in the long run. So to find you personal motivation, make a list of the benefits
you'd like to receive from leading an active lifestyle and post it as a
visual reminder of why you're trying to be active. As you experience
the benefits, either add to the list or star those that remind you why
you're doing what you're doing. Once you feel the benefits, you'll
understand why this free miracle cure is so important. |
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