The idea that exercise is prohibited for those with a chronic disease has long been outdated. Today, we know, with all the scientific evidence, that regular physical exercise is especially good for those who are sick. It is just a matter of making sure that you do what you should.

Advances in medical science, the knowledge we now have of how the human body responds to certain circumstances and, above all, the opening of medicine itself to new areas of intervention have brought new perspectives to the monitoring of chronic disease. One of these new approaches is the role of physical exercise in the management of diseases such as diabetes or other chronic diseases.

Physical exercise is extremely important in the management of diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2. In addition to facilitating the entry of glucose into cells and thus sparing the pancreas and the cells themselves from the action of insulin, it has a high potential for preventing cardiovascular disease and reducing body fat, helping to balance the body.

Exercise is essential for the long-term survival of people with diabetes. The quality of life of these patients, especially in the final years of their lives, depends greatly on the management of their blood sugar levels, on the patient’s own management of their daily routine – carbohydrate consumption, etc. Regular exercise can help to keep all of this in balance for as long as possible, thus delaying the effects that this disease causes in the body.

Margarida Silvestre