TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Exercise you should and should not do if you have diabetes
Exercise and physical activity are deemed essential for people with diabetes, but not all types of exercise are recommended.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
For maximum results, Ketut recommends exercising for 30 minutes a day. (Shutterstock/Martinina)
Exercise and physical activity are deemed essential for people with diabetes, as it helps control sugar levels in the body.
However, not all types of exercise are recommended, because some movements will actually worsen the patient's condition.
Indonesian Endocrinology Association (PERKENI) chairman Ketut Suastika told tempo.co that one type of exercise that was not recommended was anaerobic or heavy physical activity. Examples of such activity are weightlifting, jump rope and push-ups.
According to Ketut, these activities can create oxidative stress in the body, which will increase blood sugar levels and can eventually complicate a patient’s health disorder.
Read also: An egg a day may help keep diabetes away according to new study
“Take the example of lifting weights. If done by diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy or retinal disorders in the eye, it can accelerate blindness,” he said during a recent event in Jakarta.
The recommended exercise is the opposite, namely aerobics, which can help control blood sugar levels. Examples of such physical activity are walking and jogging.
Ketut recommends exercising for 30 minutes a day.
"At least 150 minutes per week. So, if you skip two days at the weekend, it's still okay. This is a method that is really effective for [keeping in check] your diabetes, " he said. (nic/kes)
