Diabetes: Why can’t you sit long?

For people with diabetes, a simple activity in daily life — sitting down — could become an invisible health trap. Long sittings are not only detrimental to the general population, but their impact on diabetes patients has doubled. So why do people with diabetes try to avoid long sittings? Let’s explore this.First, prolonged sitting leads to reduced energy consumption of the body, which directly affects the use of blood sugar. The problem is compounded by the fact that the body of diabetes patients is no longer able to use blood sugar effectively. If blood sugar is not used effectively, it accumulates in the blood, resulting in higher levels of blood sugar.It also increases body resistance to insulin. Insulin is the key hormone that helps the blood sugar enter the cell, and insulin resistance means that the body’s reaction to insulin is reduced and the blood sugar cannot be effectively entered into the cell, leading to increased blood sugar levels. This is a major problem for people with diabetes.In addition to affecting blood sugar control, prolonged sitting can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health. The prolonged sitting increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are complications that diabetics require special vigilance.Diabetes patients should take a number of measures to break the vicious cycle of sit-in:(1) Timed up: 5-10 minutes per hour, with some simple stretching or walking, to promote blood circulation and blood sugar use.(2) Increase in day-to-day activity: take advantage of day-to-day activities such as taking stairs rather than elevators, walking to a nearby location rather than driving.(3) Regular exercise: a medium-intensity exercise of at least 150 minutes per week, such as walking, swimming or cycling, helps to increase body sensitivity to insulin.(4) Stand-by work: Try to use stand-alone desks, if possible, to reduce sitting time.For diabetics, long sittings are an issue that requires attention. Diabetes can be effective in reducing the health risks associated with long sittings through time-bound activity, increased daily activity, regular exercise and attempts to stand up. Activities are an important part of diabetes management. Let’s get moving and enjoy a healthy life!