Tips to Stay on Top

Top 10 tips for exercising with diabetes

Exercise is particularly good for you when you have diabetes because it turns fat into muscle. Muscle is more sensitive to insulin than fat so your insulin - whether you make it in your own body or inject it - will be more effective.

 

Here are our top ten tips for exercising with diabetes:

1.       Every little helps, so start NOW by adding a little more exercise to your daily routine and build up gradually.

2.       Aim for 30 minutes exercise, each day if you can or at least three times a week.

3.       Choose a type of exercise you enjoy; it's much easier to keep exercising regularly if you do.

4.       You don't need special equipment or facilities to get fit. For example, 30 minutes steady walking, interspersed with an increasing number of two minute bursts at a really brisk pace also works well.

 

If you are overweight…

5.       Regular steady exercise will help you burn more calories, not just when you are exercising but for many hours afterwards.

 

If you are taking tablets or injecting insulin…

6.       Prevent a hypo by eating extra carbohydrate before you exercise.

7.       After prolonged exercise check your blood glucose regularly over the next few hours as you may find it drops later on.

 

If you have type 1 diabetes…

8.       Make sure your blood glucose is not too high before you start as this could mean you do not have enough insulin available or it may not have started to work yet.

9.       Do not exercise if you have raised blood ketones as it may make matters worse. You can check for raised blood ketones with our Precision Xtra® Blood Glucose and Ketone Monitoring System.

 

And finally...

10.   Always check with your Physician or Diabetes Educator to make sure any new exercise program is right for you.

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

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