The holistic approach to the management of diabetes mellitus necessarily involves the use of exercise as part of the diabetic person's daily plan for proper glycemic control. The incorpo ration of "wellness"principles in the education of chronic disease patient populations has featured the importance of exercise and physical fitness in disease control and maintenance. Persons with diabetes are especially likely to be assisted by the therapeutic use of exercise training that reduces the secondary risk of medical compli cations such as cardiovascular degeneration, which leads to earlier mortality. This paper summarizes normal and diabetic carbohydrate metabolism and normal and diabetic exercise physiology. Understanding these is essential so that educators can communicate effectively the importance of a personalized fitness regimen for the daily management of diabetes mellitus.
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