How to Gain Muscle With Diabetes - Part1 Preparing to Exercise

Staying active is very important if you have diabetes. Some studies indicate that weight training exercises can prevent and even reverse the onset of type 2 diabetes — muscle is a dense tissue, and it has a high metabolic rate. As you build more muscle, your body burns more calories even when you are just sitting there doing nothing, versus someone with less muscle. Although there are great benefits, you do have to use caution when exercising. By learning the proper steps to take, you can build muscle mass even with diabetes.

Part1 Preparing to Exercise

1 Visit your doctor. Although physical activity is good for people suffering from diabetes, you should clear it with your doctor before doing more intense workouts like weight training. Your doctor will perform an exam to determine if you're healthy enough for exercise. According to the American Diabetes Association, your doctor may advise against weight training if you have the following diabetes complications.^[1] If your doctor advises against weight training, that doesn't mean you can't be in shape- try lighter activities like walking or jogging.

• Retinopathy. This condition causes capillaries in the retina to balloon in size and form pouches. Weightlifting is usually not advised with this condition because the strain of lifting can burst the pouches and damage the eye.^[2]
• Neuropathy. This condition affects the body's nervous system and inhibits body systems from working properly. Dehydration makes this condition worse, so your doctor may advise against exercising or will recommend that you take adequate breaks to prevent complications.^[3]
• High blood pressure. Heavy lifting can over strain your body if you have high blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend training with lighter weights and cardio exercises to get your blood pressure down before allowing you to move on to heavy weights.^[4]

2 Get a good pair of shoes. If you have diabetes, you know that wounds can take a long time to heal and can easily get infected. If you workout with bad shoes, blisters and abrasions can form on your feet and cause potentially serious complications. To prevent this, always practice good foot care when working out.^[5]

• Get a pair of shoes with good cushioning. They should fit well- shoes that are too big or small will rub against your feet and cause abrasions. When trying on a pair of shoes, walk around and make sure there are no pressure points where the shoe rubs against your foot.
• Always check your shoes for pebbles or other objects before putting them on.
• Also wear smooth socks, and don't reuse them before washing. Sweaty socks can increase your risk for athlete's foot and other infections.

3 Learn how your body reacts to physical activity. If you've been active before, you might already know this. But if you've been inactive for a while, you may not know how exercise will affect your body. Before starting any kind of weight training regimen, you should start out with light exercises like a brisk walk. Test your blood sugar before, during, and after the walk. If your blood sugar doesn't drop too low, you can move on to exercising with light weights. Again, test your blood sugar before, during, and after. If your body tolerates this, and your doctor has cleared you for physical activity, then you can start working to build muscle.^[6]