Keeping your body as healthy as possible as a diabetic can reduce your risk of long-term health complications, such as cardiovascular disease, vision loss, nerve damage, and peripheral neuropathy if poorly managed. You can use smart tactics to track your health and manage your condition at home.
Below, we’ve got some smart and simple ways to manage your diabetes.
1. Use A Smartwatch To Track Health Markers
Monitoring your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and physical activity can make managing your diabetes much easier. But how can you track these things without the help of a doctor? The answer is simpler than you think…
Managing diabetes with smartwatches has never been easier. You can now keep a close eye on all of the above health markers (and more) through a tiny device on your wrist!
Most modern-day smartwatches have built-in step trackers, blood pressure checkers, and heart rate monitors. More advanced models even have in-built glucose monitoring tools that enable you to check your blood sugar levels at any time.
2. Educate Yourself
It’s never too late to learn more about your condition and teach other people about it too. Diabetes is complicated and there are always new research and developments to be aware of.
Educating yourself can help you learn how to manage your condition more effectively and minimize your risk of associated complications in the future. You can also learn more about common symptoms of diabetes, such as excess thirst, itchy scalp, blurred vision, or fatigue.
3. Exercise Regularly
Physical activity is free and accessible to pretty much everybody. Plus, there are so many different forms of exercise, so you aren’t going to struggle to find something you love. For example, you could join a gym and start weightlifting, join a local running club, start dancing classes, or take your dog for long trails and hikes.
Exercise can help to support your cardiovascular system and build muscle mass. Muscle tissue is sensitive to insulin so building skeletal muscle mass can help to improve your insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels more effectively.
4. Practice Stress Management
Stress can negatively affect your health as a diabetic and managing your stress can keep your cortisol levels down to improve your overall health and well-being.
Great stress management techniques that we love include yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. Even something as simple as exercise or socializing with loved ones can combat stress, too. You don’t need to spend hours every day practicing stress reduction tactics. A quick 10 minute meditation session or walk around the block can do the trick!
Note that we always recommend getting in touch with a qualified healthcare professional if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes. While most people can manage their diabetes quite effectively at home, getting regular input from a doctor and dietitian is essential. Your healthcare team can monitor your condition and identify potential complications before they negatively impact your health.
