Dr. Jeremy Robles of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism advises diabetics in the Philippines to ask a doctor about what type of exercise is appropriate for them.
This would help slow down the projected rise in number of diabetics in the country to 12 million by 2040, largely driven by more cases of type 2 diabetes due to the growing prevalence of obesity, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets.
In general, most adults should exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week, Robles said. “If one has been inactive for a long time, the doctor may want to check the person’s overall health before recommending the right balance of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise,” he said.
But first one has to be aware they already have diabetes or is one about to develop one (prediabetes or when one’s blood sugar level is higher than normal) but is not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. (To be continued)