Diabetes Home > How Changing Your Life Can Affect Your Type 2 Diabetes
Increasing your activity level, losing weight, and making healthier food choices are just some of the lifestyle changes that can affect your type 2 diabetes. Making positive changes such as these not only help to improve your health now -- they can also reduce your risk of problems down the road. These changes may seem overwhelming at first, so you may want to start by taking small steps.
Change Your Life to Improve Your Type 2 Diabetes
If you've recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider may have talked to you about important lifestyle changes you can make that may mean you don't have to take diabetes medications, can take less of these medications, or can possibly even reverse the disease altogether, at least temporarily. At first, these changes might seem overwhelming, but you don't have to do them all at once. Pick one or two at a time to focus on, take small steps, and the changes will soon add up in a big way!
Lifestyle changes that are often recommended for people with type 2 diabetes include:
- Increasing your activity level
- Losing weight
- Making healthier food choices
- Quitting smoking.
Increasing Your Activity Level
You don't have to turn into a pro athlete overnight. In fact, if you've been fairly sedentary up to this point, jumping in and doing too much, too soon could lead to injury. Start by aiming for 30 minutes of exercise three times a week and gradually work up to five times a week. Walking and swimming are great low-impact activities. Yard work and cleaning the house burn calories too!