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Physical activity can be seen as risky for children and adolescents living with diabetes, but it shouldn't be avoided because of it.

"We know that many children with diabetes avoid physical activity because of a fear of low blood sugar, and many parents are afraid to let their kids participate in exercise because their coaches, teachers or friends may not know enough about diabetes," said Michael Riddell, associate professor at the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University.

But Riddell, who has been researching diabetes for several years, said a healthy lifestyle including physical activity is actually beneficial to children who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas has stopped producing insulin so it has to be supplemented with insulin and regular blood sugar testing. Type 2 diabetes is a deficiency in the production of insulin and can be treated with diet, medication and regular blood sugar testing. Whether the child has either type, exercise is beneficial.

"We know that lifestyle affects both the development of Type 2 diabetes and also the prognosis of living with Type 2 diabetes, but also exercise and diet is also the cornerstones of treatment for Type 1 diabetes," he said.

However, Riddell, who has both a professional and personal interest in the disease after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adolescent, said physical activity isn't without its risks.

With Type 1 diabetes, exercise is a stressor that can make the blood sugar either go up or down, which can be a dangerous side affect of exercise. However, Riddell said this shouldn't exclude it altogether.

"They really deserve the right to be physically active but they have to keep the diabetes in check," he said.

To help kids and teens safely incorporate exercise through sport, this past July, Riddell launched the first Diabetes Youth Sports Camp, which saw 10 Toronto-area children and teens ages 10 to 17 with Type 1 diabetes take part.

"One of the goals of our camp and our research was to come up with safe strategies so that kids with Type 1 diabetes can exercise safely and confidently," Riddell said. "We know that a fine-tuning of their insulin and their carbohydrate intake is required so that they can exercise safely without having low or high blood sugar."

During the one-week session, Riddell said the kids picked a sport of their interest, tennis, soccer or basketball, and they learned about their diabetes through experience in a safe setting. Riddell said that first-hand experience for kids is more influential than a lecture on your disease.

"You exercise and you see your blood sugar change, you see the importance of blood sugar testing, you see the importance of eating properly and modifying your insulin for exercise... you learn more effective strategies," he said.

During the camp, there was constant monitoring of hydration, glucose levels, energy requirements and insulin adjustments to make sure it was safe but also so the participants could see the benefits of the exercise first-hand.

Riddell said, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for those living with diabetes is extremely important, especially since both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are on the rise.

"We're not sure why that is, but Type 2 diabetes is rising in childhood because children are becoming more overweight and less physically active," he said.

Riddell said there is good evidence that exercise may prevent Type 2 diabetes as well as help to treat it. He said being physically active with Type 2 diabetes improves the blood sugar control and also saves the beta cells (insulin-producing cells in the pancreas) from dying and allows you to make new beta cells.

With Type 1 diabetes, Riddell said it has been proven that being more physically active can add 10 years to your life and can reduce the risks of some of the complications that can come from diabetes.

Overall, Riddell said he was pleased at the camp's outcome, which included the kids becoming less self-conscious about their diabetes and speaking more openly about it, and hopes to host the camp again next year and expand it to include other initiatives such as focusing on youth with Type 2 diabetes.