Suppose you have prediabetes or are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. In that case, you are probably already aware that physical activity (together with a healthy diet and weight loss) is an essential aspect of diabetes prevention. Walking, climbing stairs, or raking leaves, regularly helps reduce insulin resistance, regulates blood sugar, burns more calories, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes has surpassed smoking as the leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars are now invested each year on diabetes-related medical care, although the condition is devastating to the lives of those who suffer from it.
What is Type 2 Diabetes
A malfunction characterizes type 2 diabetes when the body controls and utilizes sugar (glucose) as energy. This long-term (chronic) disorder causes an excess of sugar to circulate in the bloodstream. High blood glucose levels can ultimately cause cardiovascular, neurological, and immunological system problems.
There are two connected factors at play in type 2 diabetes. Your pancreas does not create adequate insulin, a hormone that regulates glucose transport into your cells, and your cells respond poorly to insulin, allowing you to consume less sugar.
Type 2 diabetes was previously referred to as adult-onset diabetes; however, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can appear in childhood or maturity. Type 2 diabetes is a lot more common in older adults, but a rise in the number of obese children has led to increased type 2 diabetes in younger generations. Type 2 diabetes has no cure, although eating healthily, decreasing weight and exercising can help you manage the disease. If eating and exercise aren't enough to keep blood glucose levels under control, you may need diabetic treatment or insulin therapy.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes may appear gradually. You could be dealing with type 2 diabetes for a while now without realizing it. The signs and symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Heightened thirst
- Increased appetite
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Unintentional weight loss
- Frequent infections
- Sores that take a long time to heal
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands or feet
- Darkened skin patches, most commonly found around the armpits and neck
If you observe any indications or symptoms of type 2 diabetes, consult your doctor.
Risk Factors
The following factors may raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
- Being overweight or obese is a significant risk factor.
- The less active you are, the more vulnerable you are. Physical activity helps you lose weight by burning glucose for energy and making your cells more responsive to insulin.
- The chance of developing type 2 diabetes rises with age, significantly beyond the age of 45.
- Storing fat primarily in your midsection as opposed to your hips and thighs implies more danger.
- Your risk of developing it increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
- Elevated levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol" are associated with increased risk.
- Prediabetes is a syndrome in which your blood sugar level is more significant than usual but not high enough to qualify you for diabetes.
- If you had gestational diabetes while pregnant or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, your risk of getting type 2 diabetes rises (4 kilograms).
Sitting and Diabetes
Americans are sitting for increasing amounts of time. The average employee sits for around ten hours a day — and not all of those hours are spent at work. A significant portion of inactivity is accounted for by checking e-mails, writing, and answering calls. More sitting happens during lunch, driving to and from work, and then at home when watching Netflix or working on the computer.
Sitting may appear to be unavoidable, but it increases the risk of a variety of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, joint difficulties, depression, and of course, diabetes. After just 30 minutes of sitting, your metabolism reduces by around 90%. Furthermore, studies have indicated that men who sit for much more than 6 hours every day have a fatality rate nearly 20% greater than men who sit for less than 3 hours each day; for females, the rate is roughly 40% higher. Sadly, hitting the gym does not counteract the adverse effects of sitting.
Sitting and Standing Up to Diabetes
When you finally have to go to the gym, participate in activities, or go for outdoor treks after a sedentary lifestyle, it's common to sense resistance from your body. You may have feelings of overwhelming. A mental wall of immobility can strike you not only from a loss of willpower (due to extended inactivity) but also from actual aches and pains caused by atrophied muscles and tightened joints. Biking on a desk bike is an ideal middle ground, gentler on the body and mind before returning to a more exercise routine.
Your desk bike might help you transition from a sedentary lifestyle to one that incorporates physical activity into your daily routine. Even light cycling on a desk bike helps tone your ligaments and prepare you to face exercises that require more from your body. You will have a lesser chance of injury and pain when you go to the gym, run, or stroll along a nature trail.
The goal is to alternate sitting withstanding. If your job requires you to sit for long periods, you should think about obtaining a standing desk as well. Five-minute standing or walking breaks aren't a replacement for getting in 30 minutes of physical exercise most days of the week, but they can help.
If you overeat or consume too many carbohydrates with a meal, getting on the desk bike with your standing desk will assist your body remove the glucose in your bloodstream. Eating while standing or even cycling is one way to keep those glucose surges under control. It's easy to eat a salad while reading or listening to lectures online at slow-cycling speeds. Lunching at your standing desk saves you money by keeping you away from places that serve tantalizing dishes high in fat, sugar, and salt.
Keep Diabetes at Bay
Lifestyle changes can help avoid the emergence of type 2 diabetes, the most common kind of illness. Here are ways you can prevent it:
- Get rid of excess weight
- Increase your physical activity.
- Consume nutritious plant foods.
- Consume healthy fats.
- Avoid fad diets in favor of healthy alternatives.
Prevention is crucial if you are already at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes due to being overweight or obese, having high cholesterol, or having a family history of diabetes. Making a few lifestyle adjustments today may help you avoid the significant health issues of diabetes, such as kidney, nerve, and heart damage, in the future.
