(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
(CNN) – When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, you may feel like your life has been turned upside down. I know I did. But I’ve learned to manage diabetes with help from simple changes in my eating and exercise habits, and you can, too. Even small changes are powerful. So don’t put off getting started—seize the day!
Exercise Benefits Are Huge
Why work out? Exercise lowers blood glucose. It makes your muscles respond better to insulin. It also signals the muscles to remove glucose from the blood. A recent study found that walking for 15 minutes after meals improved blood glucose levels for the whole day in people at risk for diabetes. Exercise is clearly powerful stuff, and here’s how to get the most from it: