Last updated on August 21, 2024 by Dr. Subashri Thanigaivel
Keeping your blood sugar levels within the required range of diabetes mellitus recommended by your doctors can be quite challenging. This is because many things make your blood sugar level change, which cannot be anticipated.
As we have seen in our previous blog regarding the diabetes mellitus diet, plays a significant role in managing diabetes along with the physical activity. It plays a vital role in maintaining your glycemic level by making your muscle utilize the sugar (glucose) as energy. Also, regular physical activity helps your body use insulin more efficiently. These factors work together to reduce the blood sugar level. The more strenuous your workout, the longer the effects last.
At the same time even lighter activities like doing household works, gardening, being on your feet for extended periods can help in reducing your blood sugar level.
Lifestyle-related causative factors for diabetes mellitus, according to Ayurveda:
1. Asayasukham (sitting for a more extended period, sedentary)
2. Atinidra (prolonged sleep)
3. Divaswapna (day sleep)
4. Addiction or habitual like Madhyapana(alcohol), tobacco chewing, smoking may also adversely affect diabetic health by disturbing the Vyadhikshamatvam (immunity), are some of the factors responsible for diabetes.
What does your physical activity mean to your body?
Over the few years, machines have made us sluggish. In parallel with lifestyle changes, walking habits also changed entirely because of the increased usage of automobiles and two-wheelers. This change has lead to a sedentary lifestyle and reduced physical activities leading to the increase of diabetes mellitus.
A recent study reported that brisk walk of 7.5 km/day (brisk walk = 5km/hr or 12 mins/km) for 100 days could reduce the glucose tolerance test levels drastically.
Physical exertion improves insulin sensitivity and glucose absorption. The transport and uptake of nutrition are increased in perfuse skeletal muscles, which reduces insulin requirement. It also increases the blood flow through the distal muscle groups, increasing the oxygenation in feet and hands. Hence peripheral neuropathy is reduced by increasing blood flow in extremities.
The potential risk factors that induce the development of diabetes mellitus at a young age is day nap and irregular night sleep pattern.Researchers have proved that this sleep irregularity severely affects the body’s ability to metabolize glucose. Hence sleep less than 6 hrs or more than 8 hrs and loss of sleep are related to glucose intolerance.
The need for self-care awareness strategies for diabetes mellitus:
Here are the following reasons that emphasize the need for preventive measures against diabetes:
1. The rapid incidence of diabetes has been put down to social changes.
2. Role of physical activity, healthy eating, the nutritional value need to be highlighted on disease prevention strategy.
3. A person can maintain their glycemic index properly by following suitable dietary and lifestyle plans recommended by Ayurveda.
4. Yoga provides appropriate lifestyle intervention that would be exceedingly helpful in preventing or postponing the diabetes prevalence.
5. Notable physical, psychological, physical and endocrine changes have been reported by practising various asanas over some time. It is conclusively proven to improve the quality of life in diabetics and should be adopted in the daily regimen.
Connect with our doctors at LiveRight today, to know more about the lifestyle changes for diabetes mellitus.
