Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 3 September 2015 | Page 10

E AT S M A R T !

By Rachel Ezelius, RD

Fuel Your Workout
Exercise & Sugar Control
episodes of at least 10 minutes,
preferably spread throughout
the week.
・

W

hether you have
diabetes, or you just
want to lose weight,
exercise gives you a
little more freedom to eat the foods
you love, especially carbs. The
health benefits of being active not
only help improve blood sugars,
insulin resistance and glucose
intolerance; exercise also reduces
other risks such as heart disease,
obesity, high blood pressure. It can
provide an overall sense of wellbeing. Exercise can, however, lead
to significant blood sugar
fluctuations. Therefore, individuals
taking certain anti-diabetic
medications, or those with type 1
diabetes, may have different
management challenges than those
with type 2 and would need more
specific guidance from a health care
professional.
In the 2008 Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans published
by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, the following
recommendations for adults (ages 18
to 64) were given for improved
health.
Ÿ

Adults should do 2-1/2 hours a
week of moderate-intensity, or 75
minutes of vigorous-intensity
aerobic physical activity, or
equivalent combinations of
moderate