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Exercise & your child
At every age, exercise can bring increased fitness, improved flexibility and mobility and a general feeling of wellbeing. It can also help with weight loss.
In addition, for children, exercise and sport is a normal part of childhood and growing up, and is an important social activity.
For people with diabetes, exercise has some special benefits, in particular:
- Improved sensitivity to insulin Muscle is more sensitive to insulin than fat, so as exercise helps to build lean muscle and decrease fat, the insulin dose needed may go down
- Help with blood glucose control Exercise can help to burn up glucose in the blood. If, however, your child's levels are high before he or she plans to exercise, be careful. There may not be enough insulin to move the glucose into the muscles. He or she should not start to exercise until glucose levels return to normal
- Reduction in heart disease risk Heart disease is a known risk with diabetes. Exercise can lower cholesterol levels and decrease blood pressure, both of which are heart healthy. Although heart disease is normally the concern of adults, getting into healthy habits of regular exercise when young is a good idea
What exercise is suitable for my child?
Recommendations vary, but at the moment the NHS Health Development Agency in the UK suggests:
Brisk walking for 30 minutes five times a week, or any activity that makes you slightly out of breath. The 30 minutes does not have to be taken continuously; five- or ten-minute bursts can be just as beneficial.
