Balance between exercise and metabolism: Scientific practice of aerobic exercise to combat the "sedentary crisis"

The second key to controlling blood sugar is appropriate exercise. Exercise can improve physical fitness, reduce illness, and prolong life. This is common knowledge. Therefore, on the streets, by the ponds, and under the shade of trees, groups of young people, middle-aged people, and the elderly exercise in various ways. For white-collar workers with fast-paced lives and intense competition, engaging in physical exercise at a certain time every day is something that no supplement can replace. Therefore, no matter how busy you are, you shouldn't skip exercise.

First, exercise needs to be moderate: Moderate exercise means that exercise should be tailored to the individual. There are many ways to exercise, and everyone should choose a method suitable for their own physical condition. For example, Mr. Zhang, who has a predisposition to diabetes and also suffers from lumbar disc herniation, did not participate in long-distance running or dancing with his colleagues. Instead, he chose swimming based on his doctor's advice. This is because long-distance running and dancing require strenuous activity in the lower back and legs, which is not conducive to people with lumbar problems, while swimming puts zero pressure on the spine and will not increase spinal pressure due to exercise, making it suitable for people with a predisposition to diabetes and lumbar problems. Another aspect of moderate exercise is that it's important to alternate between active and passive activities, maintaining a balance between exertion and rest. In life, we often see people who, after discovering elevated blood sugar, exercise intensely every day, leaving themselves no leisure time. As a result, after a few days, their blood sugar levels not only haven't decreased but have actually risen again. Later, they changed their exercise methods, choosing suitable times, exercising for 20-30 minutes each time during morning breaks and after dinner, followed by listening to light music. After 3-6 months, most of their blood sugar levels returned to normal.

Secondly, exercise strengthens willpower: People with elevated blood sugar often have a family history of diabetes. Having witnessed the damage diabetes causes, they fear developing it themselves, especially after discovering their blood sugar is high. This fear makes them hesitant and indecisive when exercising.

On the one hand, they believe exercise is beneficial; on the other hand, they feel that genetics outweigh environmental factors. This manifests as inconsistent exercise habits. Once the importance of exercise is understood and put into practice, many people with weak willpower have strengthened their willpower after years of physical exercise, becoming more resilient while regulating their blood sugar levels. This is especially evident in those who participate in winter swimming training. Some people say, "We work hard every day." Others say, "We put in a lot of effort every day buying groceries, cooking, and taking the kids to school, so we don't need to exercise anymore." People who say this have a misconception: that working equals exercise. In reality, working is not the same as exercise. The difference is that working consumes energy, while exercise is aerobic metabolism.

What is aerobic exercise? Aerobic exercise refers to endurance exercise aimed at enhancing the body's ability to inhale, transport, and utilize oxygen. This type of exercise ensures that the oxygen inhaled by the body is roughly equal to its demand, creating a state of balance. This type of exercise can effectively improve the function of organs such as the heart, brain, lungs, and blood vessels, which is beneficial to human health. Especially for young and middle-aged people aged 20 to 50, facing intense competition and heavy workloads, daily aerobic exercise is particularly important! Aerobic exercise includes walking, running, swimming, cycling, and dancing. Aerobic exercise can increase the body's basal metabolic rate, causing rapid fat burning. Expert research has found that after each exercise session, the body's basal metabolic rate can increase, and this increase can last for about 24 hours. Therefore, exercising every other day for at least 30 minutes each time can help maintain a stable and appropriate basal metabolic rate. So, what is the basal metabolic rate? The amount of oxygen consumed by the body per unit of time in a resting and fasting state is called the basal metabolic rate. The normal range of basal metabolic rate variation is between +10% and -10%. Several factors can affect the basal metabolic rate: Factors that increase the basal metabolic rate include exercise, fever, and hyperthyroidism. Factors that decrease the basal metabolic rate include hypothyroidism and hypopituitarism.

According to scientific observation, aerobic metabolism can reduce excess body fat, making it an important measure for young and middle-aged people to control obesity and reduce blood sugar spikes. Experts suggest that people who want to maintain normal blood sugar levels should try a combination of exercise and dietary control. This method is scientific, harmless, and meets the standards. For example, if a person walks briskly twice a day, morning and evening, for at least 20 minutes each time (no need to find extra time, just skip a couple of bus stops on your commute or walk a short distance by bicycle), they can lose about 500 grams of fat in two weeks. How much fat can they lose in a year? You can calculate it yourself. Staying away from obesity means staying away from high blood sugar! Tip: Nowadays, most white-collar workers work sitting down. Sitting is comfortable, but it also has many disadvantages. Prolonged desk work obstructs blood flow to the brain, causing dizziness and memory loss in mild cases, and cerebral infarction in severe cases. Prolonged desk work reduces lung capacity, affecting oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion, causing hypoxia in tissues and organs, leading to decreased function and disease. Prolonged desk work obstructs the return of blood to the heart through the veins of the lower limbs, easily causing lower limb edema; veins in the anus or rectum may become congested and dilated, forming small nodules, i.e., hemorrhoids. Mild symptoms include itching and pain, while severe symptoms include bloody stools or even hemorrhage—leading to anemia. Prolonged desk work and lack of exercise weaken the heart—reducing cardiac output, causing ischemia not only in the myocardium but also in various organs, especially the brain, resulting in decreased work efficiency. Prolonged desk work and intense mental labor disrupt the excitation-inhibition function of the nervous system, easily leading to memory loss, gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, and poor sleep quality.

The World Health Organization states that sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise cause 2 million deaths annually. If this situation doesn't change, by 2020, 70% of diseases will be caused by sedentary lifestyles. After seeing these statistics, will you still be sitting still? A true story: A 70-year-old male cadre surnamed Gong, who had been sitting in an office for many years without exercise, suffered from diabetes for many years without significant improvement from treatment, leading to depression. Later, his son, a swimming coach, suggested he start swimming. To improve his health and ensure a happy later life, he accepted his son's suggestion. He practices swimming for an hour each morning and evening. From not being able to swim at all and only able to walk in the water, he has developed his own backstroke technique suitable for the elderly and swims 1000 meters every day, achieving his goal of maintaining normal blood sugar levels for several consecutive years. Mr. Gong has become a celebrity among swimming enthusiasts. After his story was reported by local media, many people came to learn from him. In the process of helping others learn to swim, Mr. Gong has a peaceful and joyful state of mind, experiencing a happiness he had never felt before. Mr. Gong's wife said that moderate swimming every day not only controlled her stubborn husband's diabetes, but also changed his personality. Mr. Gong's health has improved, his temper has changed, and the couple's "sunset" life is becoming more and more beautiful! You might ask, why tell the story of a 70-year-old? The point of this story is to tell you that diseases of old age are the result of neglecting prevention when you are young. If the elderly can achieve such good results by persisting in exercise, what are young people waiting for?