Swimming is a great form of exercise for many different reasons. It burns calories quickly, works out multiple parts of the body, and has many other health benefits. For those with diabetes, swimming is actually one of the best forms of exercise that you can get.
It provides specific advantages for fighting thesymptoms of diabetes, including fluctuations in blood sugar, obesity, and stroke. Learn more about the 5 major ways swimming can benefit your health if you suffer from either type 1 ortype 2 diabetes.
1. Blood Sugar Control
A major benefit of swimming for those with diabetes is that it helps you maintain better control over your blood sugar levels. This is because swimming improves your overall fitness by strengthening all the major muscles in your body. This enables your body to more efficiently absorb both oxygen and nutrients into the cells of your muscles. This is also the main reason why any form of exercising will, for most people with diabetes, lower their blood sugar levels.
For diabetics who tend to have major fluctuations in their blood sugar, this will give your body better, more natural control over those levels. For those who use insulin to control their blood sugar, you may see a decreased need for your medication.
2. No Gravity
Swimming is also a great form of exercise for thosewith diabetesbecause the lack of gravity causes less physical stress. Diabetics often experience arthritis or other conditions that can make regular exercise uncomfortable and even painful. With swimming, you will find that exercising is comfortable and enjoyable. Furthermore, the lack of gravity in swimming means that you are less likely to injure your feet. Preventing foot injuries is particularly relevant to diabetics who often develop foot infections due to circulation problems.
3. Stronger Heart
Swimming is also a form of exercise that is great for your cardiovascular health. With diabetes, you are at greater risk for a stroke, heart attack, or other heart condition. By swimming you can improve the circulation of blood in your body and generally improve the health of your heart. This will decrease your risk for common heart problems among diabetics and generally make you feel healthier and stronger.
4. Burns Calories
Another helpful benefit of swimming is that it is a very effective form of exercise for weight loss. Swimming burns calories quickly, and this is particularly important for diabetics. Diabetes is often a major factor in becoming obese, and regular aerobic exercise is important in keeping one’s weight down. Swimming is better for those who find other forms of exercise difficult and painful but need to lose weight.
5. Good Mental Health
Finally, swimming is an enjoyable activity that will benefit your mental health. You can join a swimming class or swim with a group, and the ability to do this type of exercise sociably means that individuals may be more likely to continue exercising. You may even be able to form a group with other diabetics to swim with and support one another
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