Diabetes is a common condition that’s caused by the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin.
Without enough insulin, the body struggles to convert sugar in the blood into useable energy.
Making some diet or lifestyle swaps could help you to avoid the dangerous complications of diabetes.
While exercise is is a great way to avoid high blood sugar, there are some activities you should avoid.
Regular exercise is a crucial part of any diabetic diet or lifestyle plan, said the Joslin Diabetes Center.
But, if you have certain diabetes complications, there are some exercises you should avoid.
Patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) – where ‘new’ blood vessels grow on the surface of the eye and can bleed – should avoid heavy lifting, it said.
“Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle when you have diabetes,” said the medical centre.
“It is good for your cardiovascular system and can help control blood glucose levels.
“However, there are times when you need to be careful about exercising with diabetes.
“Patients with diabetes and active PDR should avoid activities that involve strenuous lifting; harsh, high-impact activities; or placing the head in an inverted position for extended periods of time.”
Meanwhile, diabetic peripheral neuropathy causes a loss of sensation in some diabetes patients.
Patients with the condition should limit their choice of exercise to low impact, or non-weight bearing activities
Repetitive exercise on insensitive feet could lead to fractures or ulceration, it added.
Diabetes patients with blood sugar above 400mg/dl should avoid exercising.
“Monitoring blood glucose before, after and possibly during physical activity is necessary to keep blood glucose within an appropriate range,” said the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Speak to a doctor or exercise coach before starting any new fitness programme, it warned.
Diabetes affects about 3.7 million people in the UK. Around 90 per cent of all cases are caused by type 2 diabetes.
Many people have the condition without knowing, because the symptoms don’t necessarily make people feel unwell.
Common diabetes symptoms include extreme tiredness, passing more urine than normal, and having cuts or wounds that take longer to heal than normal.