Diabetes and Sedentary Lifestyle 2

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The correlation between a sedentary lifestyle and type 2 diabetes can cause detrimental effects on one's health, and increasingly contribute to the many complications that diabetes can have on the body. Lack of exercise can lead to a failure to maintain glucose homeostasis. This will eventually result in deterioration of glucose tolerance and sustained hyperglycemia. This, in turn, may lead to acute and long-term complications that can be very detrimental to an individual's health and well-being. Once complications begin to set in, it makes it more and more difficult for women to be active, as they are held back by such complications as poor vision, lack of sensation in the legs due to poor circulation, or renal impairments.

Complications from diabetes can include vascular disease, nephropathy (kidney problems), and retinopathy (vision problems). See diagram demonstrating complications below.

Health risks from diabetes can be lessened or delayed with the implementation of physical activity into an individual's life. This increases glucose control and reduces the probability of complications over the long term. As well, eating healthy appropriate meals will help in maintaining proper blood sugar levels. Lastly, knowing what to do when your blood sugar is too high or too low is key in maintaining a healthy glycemic level and avoiding complications for as long as possible or maybe even forever.

Reference:
Castaneda, C. (2000). Type 2 diabetes mellitus and exercise. Nutrition in Clinical Care, 3(6), 349-358.

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