Aerobic activity uses your heart and lungs for a long period of time. It also helps your heart use oxygen better and improves blood flow. You want to make your heart work a little harder every time, but not too hard. Start slowly. Choose an aerobic activity such as walking, swimming, light jogging, or biking. Do this at least 3 to 4 times a week. Always do 5 minutes of stretching or moving around to warm up your muscles and heart before exercising. Allow time to cool down after you exercise. Do the same activity but at a slower pace.

This exercise is for your leg muscles. It involves muscles in the front side of your thigh your bum, and the backside of your thigh. It's excellent for people that are trying to get rid of metabolic syndrome because it does involve a large number of muscles. So it helps to improve insulin sensitivity and it also will help with a little bit of weight management as well.                                                                                                                                    

The squat exercise should be done as if you were just about to sit down in a chair, so the motion should be with your bottom out, and just about to sit down in the chair but not quite. This exercise is great again for all the muscles in your leg, including the front of your thigh, the back of the thigh, your calves, your bum. If you find that this exercise causes pain in your joint then you can do an abbreviated motion and don't come quite so deep. And as you get stronger you'll be able to go deeper and deeper.

So there's an example of a very simple leg exercise that you can do at home with no equipment, the squat. If you're finding that this brings on knee pain please consult with your local kinesiologist, trainer or physiotherapist for a leg exercise that won't put so much strain on your knees.Presenter: Mr. Min Naruki-van Velzen, Athletic Therapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Athletic Therapist

This next exercise is for your core. The core refers to the muscles of your abdomen and low back, and it's important for someone who's trying to manage their sugars with type 2 diabetes. Although it won't trim your waist, it is important for overall health and to improve insulin sensitivity. With this core exercise you want to alternate between right hand, left leg, and left hand, right leg, just hold the position for a beat at the top.

Just hold the position for a beat at the top, try to keep your torso and body stable without too much wavering about. Another great core exercise is the plank, and this just involves positioning your body in a straight line, up on the toes, and holding, remembering to breathe naturally and normally. Doing this for long enough until you get tired and then resting. So there you have two very simple core exercises that you can do at home with no equipment. If you want a program that's more tailored to your needs, please consult with your local physiotherapist, exercise specialist or trainer. Presenter: Mr. Min Naruki-van Velzen, Athletic Therapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Athletic Therapist

This next exercise is a pull muscle group exercise.It involves the muscles in your upper back as well as through your torso. Again, this is a large muscle group, so it helps out with people with type 2 diabetes, to help maximize insulin sensitivity.  So with the pull exercise, you can support your low back with the seat of a chair and then your legs just form a three-point stance so your low back is well supported. You notice torso is horizontal and parallel to the ground, and then it's just a pulling motion, very natural motion, lifting up.

Now obviously you want to do both sides to get both arms, and the pulling motion again gets the muscles in your upper back, back of your shoulders. So there's a great example of a pull muscle group exercise. If you would like a program that's more individualized to your needs, please consult with your local kinesiologist, trainer, or physiotherapist.  Presenter: Mr. Min Naruki-van Velzen, Athletic Therapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Athletic Therapist

This next exercise is a shoulder exercise.It involves the muscles in your upper traps and deltoids. It’s a great one if you have diabetes because it’s simple to do, and you can do it at home with just a set of dumbbells. This exercise – the shoulder fly – is good for your muscles in your deltoids and traps. If you’ve had previous shoulder injury or perhaps a rotator cuff tear, be a little bit careful with this one. Perhaps don’t come up quite so high, certainly it’s not necessary to go any further than vertical.

So there you have a really simple shoulder exercise that you can do at home with just a set of dumbbells. If you want a program that’s more customized to your needs, please contact your local kinesiologist, physiotherapist or exercise specialist for a program that’s designed for your unique needs.  Often seeing a local family physician or a physiotherapist in conjunction with a registered dietitian and athletic therapist is a great option to take control of this condition. Smart Food Now and exercise is also optimal for overall health.    

Now Health Network  Local Practitioners: Local Endocrinologist