Eight tips for winter exercise? A must-see for diabetics!

Keep warm

If diabetic patients have neuropathy, they may have abnormal sweat gland secretion function, leading to anhidrosis, heat intolerance, dry skin, hyperhidrosis, etc. Special attention should be paid! When exercising in cold weather, in addition to avoiding catching cold, you should also avoid dressing too warmly. It is generally recommended to use the "onion style"! For the innermost layer, sweat-wicking underwear is preferred; for the middle layer, a warm sports top is preferred; for the outermost layer, a windproof sports jacket is preferred; a hat and gloves are also helpful for keeping the head and hands warm. Blood glucose meters, continuous blood glucose monitors, etc. may malfunction due to low temperatures, so don’t forget to keep them warm!

Protect your feet

Diabetic patients are prone to ignoring minor wounds on their feet due to peripheral neuropathy, which can eventually lead to worsening infection and amputation! In a low temperature environment, peripheral blood vessels will contract, so it is very important to maintain adequate blood perfusion in the feet! You can choose warm and sweat-wicking socks and match them with appropriately sized sneakers. Before and after exercise, you should evaluate your feet for blisters or wounds, especially the spaces between the toes. After exercise, cleaning of sports socks and sports shoes must also be carried out.

Rehydrate

When exercising in a low-temperature environment, the importance of hydration cannot be ignored! During exercise, drinking water should not be too cold or too hot. It is best to drink water at a moderate temperature that is easy to drink. It is recommended to carry a thermos bottle. A new drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes - "selective SGLT2 inhibitors", in addition to the effect of lowering blood sugar, also has diuretic and blood pressure lowering effects. Diabetics who take this type of drug should pay attention to water replenishment during exercise to avoid dehydration!

Adequate nutrition

When the temperature is cold and you are hungry, the effectiveness of exercise will be greatly reduced and the risk of hypoglycemia will also increase! Blood sugar levels during exercise should be maintained between 90 and 250 mg/dL, which is suitable for all diabetic patients. To maintain a safe blood sugar range, in addition to monitoring blood sugar before and after exercise, you should also supplement with an appropriate amount of carbohydrates (0.5-1 g/kg/hour) depending on the type of exercise. If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, you should also take protein and fat intake into consideration.

Drug evaluation

Diabetic patients are prone to cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, autonomic neuropathy and other problems, and their exercise risks are higher than those of healthy people. When exercising in a low-temperature environment, records of "heart rate", "blood pressure", "blood sugar", etc. are important information that must be kept before exercising! Based on the above medical records and referring to the current medications, a personalized training menu is developed. For example, if you use beta-blockers, this drug will cause your heart rate to slow down, and the intensity of exercise you can tolerate in a low-temperature environment may be affected!

Time monitoring

In winter, the temperature is low in the morning and evening, and the light is poor at night. It is recommended that diabetics avoid exercising in the morning and evening, and try to exercise in the morning or afternoon. According to the 2017 guidelines of the American Diabetes Association, it is recommended to "exercise at least 150 minutes of moderate to high intensity per week"; those who are relatively young or in better physical condition can choose "75 minutes of high intensity exercise per week". If you exercise outdoors in cold weather, you can adjust the exercise time according to your physical condition. Safety comes first. (Note: The exercise time is only for reference. There is no perfect standard answer, only the most suitable exercise plan)

Accompanying relatives and friends

Having family and friends accompany you during exercise not only strengthens your motivation to exercise, but also allows them to immediately lend a helping hand if an emergency occurs in cold weather. Family and friends who accompany you during exercise also need to have a basic understanding of the sports equipment and emergency medicines needed by diabetic patients. If diabetics have a dedicated sports coach, they can also provide their medical history so that they can exercise more safely under the supervision of the coach!

Indoor Sports

Air that is too cold or has a high air pollution index (ex: PM2.5 purple explosion) will have adverse effects on the human body; once the respiratory tract is over-irritated, severe coughing and tracheal constriction may occur, disrupting the pace of exercise. For this kind of situation, you can change to exercising indoors (at home, in a gym, etc.), combining it with aerobics, yoga, boxing classes, etc. The beautiful lighting, good atmosphere, and comfortable air conditioning make it a great choice for winter exercise!

Summary: "Keep warm", "Protect your feet", "Replenish water", "Adequate nutrition", "Drug evaluation", "Time monitoring", "Companionship of relatives and friends", "Indoor exercise", these are the eight tips for winter exercise. Have you really done them all?

This article comes from: Ye Junyuan's Healthy Factory

※For more information, please visit Dr. Yeh Jun-kwan’s blog