Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in California and the United States. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 11% of the entire US population have diabetes. It’s a chronic disease causing high blood sugar levels and provoking long-term complications like cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, nerve damages, or worse. People overweight, older than age 45, with a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, or moving less than three times a week, are more at risk for type 2 diabetes. Regular activity and fitness training for 150 minutes a week and a healthy diet can reduce the risk for diabetes. Personal Training helps you to change your lifestyle and to build up new habits like fitness training and a healthy diet.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease affecting your blood sugar levels. Mellitus literally means ‘sweet like honey’. With diabetes, less sugar can be stored in muscles and more sugar remains in the blood. This is because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the cells cannot use insulin efficient enough. Effectively the blood sugar level remains high. The Mayo Clinic warns that chronic high blood sugar levels, also called hyperglycaemia, can lead to serious long-term complications, such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, kidney diseases, nerve damages, eye problems, or amputations.
Diabetes can manifest in two different forms. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease causing a lack of Insulin. The CDC estimates that 5-10% of people with diabetes have type 1. Usually, diabetes type 1 is diagnosed during childhood, as a teen, or young adult. With type 2 diabetes the body cannot use insulin well enough, which also causes high blood sugar levels. Since there are no symptoms for diabetes, it is important to control blood sugar levels when you are at risk.
The phase before getting diabetes is called prediabetes and according to official statistics 96 million American adults have it. This means 1 in 3 adults has prediabetes. With prediabetes your blood sugar levels are already too high, yet not high enough to be defined as diabetes. Blood sugar levels can be measured with the A1C test. This test tells your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. The CDC defines prediabetes, if your A1C level is between 5.7% and less than 6.5%. If you have an A1C level of 6.5% or higher, you are considered in the diabetes range. For daily testing a fasting blood sugar of lower 99 mg/dL is considered as normal. A fasting blood sugar of 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates you have prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL or higher is considered as diabetes.
Fitness Training to prevent Diabetes
According to the CDC you are at risk for type 2 diabetes if you are overweight, 45 years or older, have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes, are physically active less than 3 times a week, or have prediabetes. This whole list narrows down to two essential prevention methods for diabetes. Be active and eat healthy. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that a change of lifestyle can reduce the incidence of diabetes by 58% . Before you start working out, see a doctor to check if you are ready to sport.
Health organizations all over the world recommend 150 minutes activity per week to stay healthy. You can start by going 30 minutes for a walk. Also, you can take breaks during your walks or start with smaller increments like 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. You do not have to work out like a professional athlete. You can go for a walk, ride a bike, swim, hike, play tennis, do strength training, or anything else you enjoy doing. The social aspect is very important in building new habits. Find a friend or partner to be active together. A Personal Trainer can also help to motivate you and plan a training to your personal needs. A team guarantees you will repeat the activity in the future which forms new habits and leads to a healthy lifestyle. Personal Training helps you to build this habit and to change your life.
Change your Lifestyle Habits to prevent Diabetes
The combination of both, an active lifestyle and fitness training plus a healthy diet, is the most effective way to prevent diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a diabetic diet including lots of non-starchy vegetables, minimal added sugars and refined grains, more whole foods, and less processed foods. Carbs should be rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low in added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats. Food to avoid with diabetes is high in fat like fried or junk food, is high in added sugars like sodas, and high in sodium like pizza or condiments. Meals should contain sufficient amounts of all macro nutrients. The goal must be to lose fat and change your eating habits. A sustainable diet substitutes certain ingredients, though your body will receive all the needed nutrients. Changing your eating habits will keep you healthy and reduces the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in San Diego and California. Physical activity and fitness training is a key prevention against diabetes and overweight. Personal Training helps you to lose weight by changing your activity habits. I structure for you an individualized training program regarding your goals and personal health and fitness status. If you want to change your lifestyle and life active and healthy, I’d be happy to help you.