Diabetes is a major health concern in the United States today, the disease became the seventh largest cause of death listed by corners by 2006 , and this figure will continue to rise as 1.6 million new adult diabetics were diagnosed in 2007, with millions more since.

All diabetics suffer from multiple health concerns ranging from a four-fold increase in risk for heart disease or stroke to a general doubling of the chance of death on any given day. As a result, diabetics must take special precautions before initiating any fitness plan, specifically seek medical approval, select appropriate activity, and locate an exercise group. These three elements are crucial not only to a successful fitness activity, but also to prevent a life ending situation.

A fitness plan for a diabetic, either Type 1 or Type 2 begins with medical approval. The attending physician should give the diabetic patient a complete physical to determine the level of activity that that individual can sustain safely as well as what activities can be undertaken safely and which activities should be avoided in the interests of future health or injury prevention. Due to the reduced healing ability of a diabetic patient, additional health aids such as orthotics, special socks to prevent blisters, vitamin dietary supplements, or preventative medications could also be prescribed to aid the fitness program and reduce risk of injury.

To further promote fitness while reducing the risk of injury to the diabetic patient, appropriate activities approved by the medical specialist should be selected. Ideally, a diabetic friendly fitness program should include an aerobic activity such as walking or light jogging on a treadmill to increase cardiovascular health as well as a resistance based activity like hydrotherapy to increase muscle tone and range of motion. Each activity should be chosen to limit the chance of injury by direct bodily contact with sharp edges or bruising concussions while promoting light to moderate exertion.

Finally, the diabetic fitness plan should weigh heavily into group activities. Due to the risks of internal or external bleeding and the higher risk of heart attack or stroke, no diabetic should exercise alone, and thus necessitating the locating, and enrolling in, an exercise support group. By maintaining at least one partner in an exercise session to provide proper safety precautions, injuries can be largely prevented, and in the event of a collapse or medical emergency, contact emergency services rapidly thus preventing a loss of life.

In conclusion, three basic tips for proper fitness for diabetics are as follows: Seek medical advice to prevent injury and determine physical limitation. Develop a fitness plan that includes both resistance and aerobic exercise activities to promote a balanced fitness approach. Never exercise alone, to limit the possibility of injury. With a partner or in a group, the diabetic partaking in exercise has additional safeguards against accident or injury. Following these three simple rules promotes low-risk physical fitness.