Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been dealing with diabetes for several years, it’s always a great idea to make sure you are prepared for blood sugar fluctuations when being physically active. Exercise is an important part of blood sugar management as it can help lower your HgbA1c, but it’s important to do it safely. Before starting any exercise routine, discuss your plans with your doctor to make sure you don’t have any restrictions as this can also effect the type of medications the prescribe you.
First and foremost, you should always check your blood sugar before exercising. For most diabetics, blood sugar will decrease with exercise. When you are physically active, insulin sensitivity is increased allowing cells to take in more glucose from the bloodstream than before. If glucose is already low before exercising, this can lead to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is considered a reading of 70 mg/dL or below. You may also experience various symptoms such as extreme fatigue, shakiness, foggy-headed, and dizziness. If you experience a low blood sugar during or after exercise, stop exercising immediately and correct it with the 15-15 rule: check your blood sugar to be sure this is the problem, consume 15 grams of sugar, wait for 15 minutes before checking your glucose again. If your glucose is still under 100 mg/dL, repeat the process. Depending on the intensity of your workout, glucose can continue to fall over the next 24 hours and should be monitored throughout the day. For those who are taking insulin, risk of a very low blood sugar is even higher. It is incredibly important to adjust dosage for exercise. I recommend carrying glucose tablets with you at all times in case of emergencies.
On the other hand, sometimes glucose will rise during and after exercise making matters worse. If your exercise routine was too strenuous which can release stress hormones increasing blood sugar. When glucose rises too high, this is known as hyperglycemia. Drink plenty of water to help flush the kidneys of excess glucose. Re-evaluate your exercise routine to make it less vigorous. If you continue to have elevated blood sugars from exercise, talk with your doctor to help determine a plan of action.
How physical activity will affect your blood sugar can vary based on the type and duration of exercise you complete. If you are not sure how your blood sugar will react to specific exercises, start out with a light exercise routine such as walking. Log your exercise and blood sugars (before and after) and look for trends. Download the free exercise log for diabetics at the bottom of this page to get started. If you feel you frequently have low blood sugar during or after exercise, talk with your doctor about medication adjustments.
With it being winter, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to get to the gym. Here are some indoor exercises you can do or try watching exercise videos in your home.
If you have complications from diabetes such as heart disease, high blood pressure, retinopathy, or osteoporosis, the American Diabetes Association has a great guide to which exercises are recommended and precautions to take.