When you Have Diabetes

Exercising When you Have Diabetes

Fitness

When you have diabetes, exercise plays an essential role in your day to day life and ongoing health. Exercise and movement are necessary for every person’s physical and mental health, but fitness looks different for every individual based on their abilities, needs, diet, and lifestyle.

Exercise helps to control weight and improve overall strength, but it also helps to lower the body’s glucose levels while increasing its sensitivity to insulin. This is particularly beneficial for people with diabetes, as diabetics have high blood sugar levels and require insulin to regulate their body’s glucose. 

When you have diabetes, there are specific practices you will want to maintain that will be beneficial not only for your physical health but also for managing your diabetes.

Make Your Daily Schedule: Ordering & Administering Insulin 

It is essential for people with diabetes, and people in general, to maintain healthy exercise habits. To maintain these habits, however, you need to balance your exercise schedule with your medication and meal schedule. Administer insulin 12 minutes before eating and then test your blood three hours later ahead of your workout. 

When you order your insulin online, buy from an online prescription referral service like BuyInsulin.com that will provide you with the resources and education you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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In addition to offering affordable Canadian insulin, BuyInsulin also provides online educational resources to help people with diabetes obtain insulin and understand the types of insulin and other diabetic supplies available to them.

Before Exercising: Test Blood Sugar

According to Mayo Clinic, diabetics should test their blood sugar between 15 and 30 minutes before exercising to ensure that their blood sugar level is not below 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). An excellent way to boost your blood sugar levels and avoid hyperglycemia is to eat a small snack like a fruit and then re-test your levels half an hour after the fact.

On the other hand, if your blood sugar reads 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) or higher, it is advised that you avoid exercising altogether. This is because exercising will increase your levels even more and put you at higher risk.

Before Exercising: Test Blood Sugar

Best Types of Exercise: Aerobics & Resistance Training

Resistance training and aerobic exercises like Pilates and yoga are particularly beneficial for people with diabetes. These types of activities help to lower HbA1c values and can reduce resistance and sensitivity to insulin. 

While both activities are beneficial in their own right, the best results will come from doing a combination of both. All forms of exercise will have a generally positive impact on diabetics. 

Best Time to Exercise: 3 Hours After Eating 

According to Harvard Health Publishing, the best time for diabetics to exercise is three hours after a meal. This is when blood sugar levels will be the highest.

After Exercising: Test Blood Sugar (Again)

It is important to test your blood sugar after a hard workout because diabetics are at the highest risk of hyperglycemia six to 12 hours after exercising. 

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Exercising when you have diabetes is about time management and regulation to ensure your levels are even and that you aren’t overexerting yourself. You can manage your diabetes while also reaping the benefits of physical activity.