When it comes to staying healthy, there are many habits that can help. Besides sleeping eight hours a night and eating a variety of foods, you probably know that exercise is one of the best ways to manage your health.
It’s true, moving your body is important! But with diabetes, you need to be aware of how exercise impacts your blood sugar. And as it turns out, not all exercises are created equal.
The connection between exercise and blood sugar
Exercise is usually thought of as a way to decrease blood glucose. This is because your body is more sensitive to insulin during a workout, which makes it easier for your muscle cells to accept glucose from your blood. Even if there isn’t insulin available, your muscle cells can still take in glucose when your muscles contract as you exercise.
However, you might notice that your blood sugar increases during or after a workout. Since certain types of exercise increase the production of stress hormones such as adrenaline, your blood sugar rises as your liver releases glucose.
Types of exercise that decrease blood sugar include aerobic (such as walking, swimming, and biking) and weightlifting with light weights and high repetitions. On the other hand, sprints and heavy weightlifting can increase blood glucose.
Still, exercise of any form benefits health, so it’s important to find what you enjoy while keeping the effects on blood glucose in mind.
How to avoid low blood sugar when exercising
There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a workout and needing to eat because of hypoglycemia. Luckily there are ways to prevent your blood sugar from dropping.
Having a plan in place when it comes to your workout is one of the best ways to prevent low blood sugar. Exercise at similar times each day, and avoid working out when you have large amounts of insulin on board.
It’s also crucial to check your blood sugar before, during, and after your workout. If necessary, follow the 15-15 rule, where you eat 15 to 20 grams of carbs to raise your blood sugar if it’s 100 mg/dL or lower. Wait 15 minutes and if your blood sugar is still less than 100 mg/dL, eat another 15 grams of carbohydrates. Continue this process until your blood sugar is above 100 mg/dL.
How to prevent high blood sugar during exercise
Since certain types of exercise can increase blood sugar, it’s important to know how to avoid a spike.
Avoiding types of workouts that raise blood sugar is one way to prevent hyperglycemia. That could mean going for a walk or doing yoga instead of running sprints.
Time of day also matters. If you exercise in the morning when the dawn phenomenon (the natural rise in blood sugar between 4 and 8 AM) is in full effect, your blood sugar might increase more than it would later in the day.
Adjusting medication doses with your healthcare provider is another great way to decrease your risk of high blood sugar. Not eating carb-heavy meals or snacks before or during a workout that produces stress hormones will also help you avoid blood sugar spikes.
The bottom line
The most important aspect of exercising with diabetes is to find an activity you enjoy and will stick with. Keeping your blood sugar in mind as you work out, paired with the different strategies for avoiding blood sugar dips and spikes, is the best way to reap the benefits of exercise with stable blood glucose.
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