What to do for What I need to know about Physical Activity and Diabetes ?
- Starting a physical activity program can help you lose weight or keep a healthy weight and keep your blood glucose levels on target.  - Always talk with your health care team before you start a new physical activity program.  - Ask your health care team if you need to change the amount of medicine you take or the food you eat before any physical activity.  - Talk with your health care team about what types of physical activity are safe for you, such as walking, weightlifting, or housework.  - To make sure you stay active, find activities you like to do. Ask a friend or family member to be your exercise buddy.  - Write down your blood glucose levels and when and how long you are physically active in a record book.  - Doctors suggest that you aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days of the week.  - Children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes who are 10 to 17 years old should aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day.  - Not all physical activity has to take place at the same time. For example, you might take a walk for 20 minutes, lift hand weights for 10 minutes, and walk up and down the stairs for 5 minutes.  - Doing moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day most days of the week provides many benefits. You can even split up these minutes into several parts.  - Start exercising slowly, with 5 to 10 minutes a day, and add a little more time each week. Try walking briskly, hiking, or climbing stairs.  - Whether youre a man or a woman, you can do strength training with hand weights, elastic bands, or weight machines two to three times a week.  - Stretching exercises are a light to moderate physical activity that both men and women can do. When you stretch, you increase your flexibility, lower your stress, and help prevent sore muscles.  - Increase daily activity by spending less time watching TV or at the computer.  - Try these simple ways to add light, moderate, or vigorous physical activities in your life every day:      - Walk around while you talk on the phone.    - Take a walk through your neighborhood.    - Do chores, such as work in the garden or rake leaves, clean the house, or wash the car.    - If you have type 1 diabetes, try not to do vigorous physical activity when you have ketones in your blood or urine.