Fitness Exercise / Exercise Helps Diabetic Neuropathy - 5 Tips to Get Started

Exercise Helps Diabetic Neuropathy - 5 Tips to Get Started

Exercise is beneficial for many different conditions and you can include diabetic neuropathy to the list.

In the early stages of diabetic neuropathy at least, exercise appears to help in the regulation of nerve pain of neuropathy and to slow its progress as revealed in a recent study. Researchers found that neuropathy sufferers who exercised on a treadmill for an hour four times a week had a significantly slower progression of nerve damage.

Precisely why exercise helped wasn't reviewed, however a good guess is that exercise produces a demand for more blood flow to the legs and feet, exposing affected nerves to more required nutrients.

Despite knowing this, it's hard to convince a person suffering from neuropathy to exercise simply because the discomforts related to neuropathy are the very reason that keep them from working out in the first place. So the trick is to discover an exercise that doesn't intensify the condition in the short term so you can keep exercising long enough to see the benefit.

Here are 5 helpful tips.

First, It's always best to get your heart, eyes, and feet inspected by a medical professional prior to starting any new exercise program and ask their view regarding which type of exercise would be best for you.

Start Gradually

Once you've got your doctor's advice, don't feel you have to jump right in and exercise a lot. Slowly integrating exercise into your life is a better way to ensure you'll continue it. Doing too much too quickly can cause problems. Start with simply five minutes of additional motion a day, even something as simple as moving your ankles up and down. As you feel more comfortable, include a little more time every day. The American Diabetes Association suggests building up to exercising 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week.

Be Kind to Yourself

Neuropathy is a long-term condition and its symptoms may be with you for a while, so think long-term. Because walking can be jarring on the feet, possibly enhancing your pains, swimming or water aerobics may be a much better option. These non-impact exercises can be really valuable. Water offers both support and resistance so you'll get less pressure on your feet, yet still utilize your muscles, creating an enhanced blood flow into the impacted areas.

You might likewise think about utilizing a stationary bike, an elliptical trainer, both of which give great results with far less pounding on the feet. Yoga and tai chi could also be useful as their motions can help with both balance and relaxation.

Make Exercise Fun

Our bodies were built to move. Unfortunately, many individuals equate exercise with "work" and work usually implies something undesirable. May I suggest you consider working out as an opportunity to play. Working at exercise can enhance your physical fitness, but "playing at" exercise lifts both physical fitness and spirits. You do not need to develop a major sweat to acquire benefits.

As kids, a lot of us found something we enjoyed doing, whether it was a sport or other activity. If possible, rekindle that pleasure by incorporating that sport or a modified version of it into your workout program. For instance, I liked playing basketball through my 20's, however due to injuries I discovered I couldn't continue. Now in my 50's I remain to delight in the game and get some great exercise simply by going to the health club to shoot baskets between wind sprints. On the other hand, my wife has always liked dancing. She continues to take dance courses with pals.

Make Exercise Part of Your Day

Another way to stay inspired is to establish "play-dates" with a friend, a next-door neighbor, partner, or even a pet, preferably someone with a similar physical fitness level. Can't find anybody? Check out group courses at the local leisure center or fitness center.

Mix It Up

Do not feel you have to do any particular routine. One of the most common reasons people give up on exercises is that they feel it gets boring. Mix it up by learning a new sport or activity such as golf, dancing, or bowling. Another suggestion is to go to the library and search for a new exercise DVD or video.