Exercise and Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose (sugar) is not well controlled. In healthy individuals, the hormone insulin works to ensure that blood glucose levels stay within a normal range. In type 1 diabetes, the body stops producing insulin, and this often occurs early in life. Without insulin, the body’s cells cannot easily take in glucose. As a result, the cells are starved of glucose (an important source of energy), and blood glucose levels climb to dangerously high levels. Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which insulin is available, but the body’s cells are unresponsive to it. Risk factors such as obesity, a family history of type 2 diabetes, and a sedentary lifestyle are linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. More than 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a form of the disease that develops during pregnancy. Although the causes of the various types of diabetes differ, the negative health effects are similar, including an elevated risk of heart disease, nerve and blood vessel damage, and kidney disease.