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Diabetes Fitness: Stationary Cycling and Exercise for the Upper Leg
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of columns on diabetes fitness by Chad Boykin. Chad is a certified fitness trainer, kickboxing coach, and author of "Muay Thai Kickboxing: The Ultimate Guide to Training, Conditioning, and Fighting." He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 15.
This month, let’s look at stationary cycling as an aerobic exercise. Then we will describe exercises and stretches for the thigh muscles of the upper leg. The specific muscles exercised are a group of four large muscles collectively known as the quadriceps.
Caution! Exercise can quickly affect your blood sugar readings. If your blood sugar is below 100 mg/dL, you should have a snack and postpone exercise until your reading is at least 100. Sipping a sports drink or diluted juice during a workout is a good way to keep blood glucose stable.
If your pre-workout reading is above 250 mg/dL, be aware that strenuous exercise can cause a rise in blood sugar, although this is not always the case. Ask for advice from your personal healthcare team about what insulin does may be needed in this situation. Keeping good records of your blood sugar readings before, during, and after exercise gives them the information they need to best help you.
Aerobic Exercise: Cycling
Cycling on an indoor stationary bike is a terrific low-impact aerobic exercise that you can do any time, regardless of the weather outside. The first step is to sit on the bike and put your feet on the pedals. Do one rotation and make sure the seat is adjusted so that your knee does not completely straighten when pedaling.
Next, follow the instruction on the machine (which will vary) to select a program (manual, hills, peak, intervals, or various) and a resistance level. A program that is manual or flat is the easiest to begin with, while an interval or hill program provides a more vigorous workout. (Save this for after you have done several weeks of regular cycling.) The resistance level makes more effort necessary to turn the pedal. A beginner should start with a one-to-two resistance level and slowly increase the resistance level over several weeks.
Lastly select a workout time: 15-20 minutes if you are just starting out, 20-40 minutes for intermediates, and 45-60 or more minutes for the more advanced. Twenty minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week in the key, and cycling outdoors or on a machine is a great way to accomplish it. New research suggests that a total of 20 minutes in a day will provide results; so two 10-minute workouts (with the target heart rate met) can meet the goal too!
Aerobic: Working the Upper Legs
The exercise described here should first be practiced with little or no resistance in order to learn the movement correctly, and help from a trainer is recommended. As with any resistance exercise the weight should be gradually increased over time.
Leg Extensions
This exercise can be done on a leg extension machine, which you can find in most gyms and fitness centers. With this machine, you sit and let your legs dangle in front of you. There is a roller bar at the level of your lower legs. It is connected to weights, and you can decide how much weight to use as you lift the bar by extending your legs out and up.
Adjust the machine so that your knees are bent with the roller pad just above your ankles, and grip the handles at the side of the machine. Sit straight, tighten your stomach muscles and look straight ahead. Slowly lift your knees until your legs are almost straight. Fully straightening the knees is called “locking out” and is not recommended. Feel the tension (squeezing) in the upper leg muscles at the “top” of the movement and slowly lower the roller pad until the weight stack is almost back to the starting point. Here you want to make sure that you do not let the weight plates go all the way back down; instead just come within a few inches and start the next repetition. This keeps constant tension on the targeted muscles and keeps them from getting rest between each rep.
Variations: If you do not have access to a weight machine, this exercise can also be done seated in a chair in the same way. The difference is that you will be stretching your legs and holding them out, without the extra resistance of the weights. Do the exercise slowly and feel the muscles stretch on the lower part and contract (squeeze) on the upward part. Because you aren’t using the extra weights, the number of repetitions can be increased. You can go for an amount of time (30 seconds to one minute), or simply do the exercise until your upper legs feel tired.
Sets and Reps: To begin, practice this exercise for one or two sets of 12-15 repetitions, with a short rest of no more than one minute in between. Over time the weight used should increase and sets can gradually increase to three to five. Remember, if you can do the upper limit number of reps (in this case 15) then it’s time for a small weight increase. Exercising the upper leg muscles should be done one to two times per week, with at least one day off in between to recover.
Stretching
The lunge position is a good position that allows you to stretch many leg muscles. You bend one leg at the knee, with your foot in front of you. You bend your other leg behind you, so that you are kneeling on it. For comfort, use a pad or blanket between your knee and the floor. Support yourself with your hands on your front knee. Push your front foot slightly out, and push your back leg slightly behind you, so that both les bend slightly away from your body.
1) To stretch the quadriceps leg muscles in the back leg slowly tilt the pelvis forward by tucking in the abdomen (stomach) and flattening the back.
2) Shift your weight slowly forward until you feel a stretch on the front of your thigh. Do not let your forward knee move beyond a 90-degree angle (go forward past the ankle).
You should feel a slight stretch, hold for a 10-20 second count and repeat. Switch sides and repeat for the opposite leg.
Looking Ahead
In the next column, we will begin looking at exercises and stretches for the upper leg (hamstrings), and look at stair climbing as a means of aerobic fitness.
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