Exercise is an important tool in managing your diabetes in order 
to live a longer, healthier life. 

1. Exercise increase insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. 
The key problem of Type 2 diabetics is insulin insensitivity, or 
insulin resistance. By exercising you can improve how well your 
insulin works; this helps you to control your blood glucose 
level.

2. Exercise improves your cholesterol levels. Exercise helps by 
raising the good kind of cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the bad 
kind of cholesterol (LDL). Exercise can also lower triglyceride 
levels. This is good news for diabetics as diabetics are at 
increased risk for cardiovascular disease. I myself have had 
cholesterol problems, but between proper diet and exercise and no 
drugs, I now have a much healthier cholesterol levels.

3. Exercise can decrease blood pressure. Many diabetics also have 
hypertension or high blood pressure. Exercising can reduce both 
your resting blood pressure and your blood pressure during effort 
(including exercise). This is very important for reducing your 
chances of heart disease and stroke. I also used be on blood 
pressure medication, and have been able to get off the drugs. 
Because of the strong genetic component, this took more than just 
diet and exercise; I take several supplements specifically to 
help keep my blood pressure in the healthy ranges. I also work on 
stress management and meditate, but exercise is a key ingredient 
to lowering it in most people.

4. Exercise can also improve heart efficiency, and help it work 
less. This also helps with the cardiovascular risk factors. You 
will be able to exercise harder and it does not feel harder. This 
will make performing your daily tasks easier. Many people do not 
exercise because they think they do not have the energy. They 
need to exercise to get the energy. Your resting heart rate can 
also lower.

5. Exercise can improve your mood. Diabetes can be a stressful 
disease, exercising can help you feel better mentally. Exercise 
can even improve depression which can be an issue with a disease 
like diabetes.

6. Exercise aids dramatically in weight-loss and maintaining 
weight-loss. Specifically, the right kind and right amount of 
exercise aids in fat-loss and preservation of muscle tissue. 
Losing weight can improve blood pressure, insulin resistance, 
glucose levels, and cholesterol levels above and beyond what 
exercise alone does.

7. Exercise helps you to reduce your chances of diabetic 
complications. Better control of your blood glucose helps prevent 
serious complications of diabetes, including blindness, 
neuropathy, and kidney failure.

Please talk to your doctor and start exercising!  
You will feel so much better! 

Katrina McKenna is the leading diabetes and heart disease 
fitness expert. She is the author of the upcoming book 
"Diabetes Secrets: How You Can Lose Weight, Control Your 
Blood Sugar, Look Great and Feel Great with Diabetes". For 
more information and to subscribe to her free Health and 
Fitness Journal please go to: http://www.metamorfitness.com