High blood pressure can be a result of a lack of exercise. This is particularly true of type 2 diabetes sufferers who should exercise regularly, which will also reduce stress and levels of bad cholesterol.
It’s important for the type 2 diabetic to exercise, as diabetes puts people and a much higher risk of heart disease.
However, this does not mean one has to spend hours (in my case getting bored rigid) in the local gym. I decided to take more exercise after I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and aimed to do this by walking 2 miles a day.
I bought a local large scale ordnance survey map and planned a route that measured 2 miles. I find that I can walk this is about 45 minutes and I generally do it before work in the morning. My wife takes a train every morning to work which again is a 2 mile round trip.
I have been doing this for about 2 months now, and have found my weight reduced and my stress levels are way down.
If you are an animal lover, now may be the time to get that dog you always wanted. Be careful though, they are a 10-20 year commitment, but if you do get one, you have no choice but to walk, so you no longer have to rely on willpower alone!
However, you do have to be careful if you suffer from certain diabetic conditions:
Diabetic Eye Conditions
The most important form of eye disease to think about is diabetic retinopathy. The need to protect the eyes here is of absolute importance, and has little to do with wearing eye protectors (although this may be necessary depending on what you are doing). It has everything to do with not, for example, doing exercise where your eyes go below the level of your heart, or where an increase in pressure is likely – underwater skindiving for example. Sudden shocks to the head should also be avoided.
Disease of the Kidneys.
Avoid extreme exercises that last a long time and raise the blood pressure, long distance running for example.
Clogging of the Arteries, or PAD.
PAD manifests itself as a pain in the legs when walking. This is where the arteries become clogged, and although common to both diebetics and non diabetics, it develops much more quickly in diabetics. Basically, after 10 years of diabetes 30% of both women and men no longer feel a pulse in their feet.
The result is pain in the legs after walking a certain distance. The way to exercise with this condition is to walk a distance just short of the distance at which pain begins and rest. Then having rested walk the same distance again, and then rest again. Keep repeating this process.
The good thing is, that as you continue to exercise like this, blood vessels will be encouraged to grow in your legs, reducing the pain.
Toby was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic over 2 years ago. He is determined to remain active, and help other people with his own experiences of the disease. He also has many interests, visit his latest website about ryobi 18v battery at http://www.ryobi 18v battery.net
