How does exercise help manage diabetes?

Exercise can help manage diabetes in many ways, by keeping a patient's weight down and keeping a patient healthy and strong. Watch family medicine physician Jennifer Caudle, DO, describe the types of exercise that can benefit diabetes patients.

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[MUSIC PLAYING] Aerobic exercise, walking, et cetera are really great ways to help manage your type 2 diabetes. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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Diabetes can very well be managed by exercise in many ways. One of the hallmarks of diabetes, type 2 diabetes,

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that is, that we like to stress with patients is the importance of keeping a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet. This really helps diabetes type 2

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all around, not only from treatment, to prevention, to management, all of that and above. So one of the ways that patients can help manage their diabetes

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really is by exercising. Aerobic exercise, walking, getting on the treadmill, these are all the things that can be very helpful for you.

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You just want to make sure that your heart is healthy and your doctor gives you the OK to do aerobic exercise. But aerobic exercise, walking, et cetera

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are really great ways to help manage your type 2 diabetes. Some suggestions I often give to my own patients really include incorporating exercise into daily lives.

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If you don't have time to dedicate 30 minutes to the gym three times a week, that's OK. There are other ways to get your exercise.

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Things I suggest include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car far away from your work or your place of employment

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and making sure you walk a little bit longer. If you get a pedometer, sometimes that can be helpful in letting you know just how much you're

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actually walking. And sometimes the staff at my office, they do this great thing where at lunchtime they walk around the building to get some exercise.

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So with a group of friends, this can be a great activity. You want to make sure that you incorporate exercise into many aspects of your life.