I have joined a Gym and am setting up an exercise program tomorrow. Does anyone have any suggestions as to time of day it may be best to exercise. Should I be having a snack before or after I exercise? Any comments or hints would be helpful. I have Type 2
I exercise right after my mid-day meal, and this brings down any higher blood sugar from my lunch (I eat lunch at my desk and take the exercise time as my lunch hour). However, sometimes I go to water aerobics before dinner, and while I come home hungry and with a pleasantly low blood sugar, it is rarely so low that it worries me.
My advice would be to exercise when it fits into your daily schedule, but make sure to do it regularly. That’s the important thing, and, at least for me (some folks say exercise raises their bg, which seems weird, but then, what isn’t weird about this disease? we all seem to be different), it is an immediate gratification of lowered bg (unlike the delayed gratification of overall fitness etc). I can see immediately what good the exercise has done me!
And as to snacks, check your bg before and after exercise the first few times. When I started my water exercise program I went quite low at first, but that has evened out as my body gets used to it. If you find you go quite low, a snack before would probably be a good idea…or after if that works for you. You might take something with you, at least a couple hard candies, in case you go low while you’re exercising. Like everything else, we have to test and figure out what works for our bodies.
Ellie,
Thank you for the advise. I realize that everone’s body reacts differently, but I need to get as much information as possible as my knowledge is limited. I appreciate your input as I hadn’t thought about checking my bg before and after exercise to see how my body reacts
Don,
I am a type 2 and have lost about 25lb since DX in late July. I exercise 30 min on an elliptical machine each morning and then do about 25 min of weight/resistance type training. Before diabetes, I hated working out and now it has become a drug of sorts for me. I feel a tremendous sense of purpose. It’s no longer about looking good for me, but living and feeling good. I miss the gym when I don’t go and have occassionally gone twice a day. Grab an I-pod, start off slowly and build your body. As strange as it sounds, I’m probably the healthiest I’ve been in 5-7 years now when you consider blood pressure, good and bad cholesterol, etc. Good luck!
Way to go! I’ve found exercise to be a really important part of managing my diabetes. My CDE recommended at least 30 minutes x 5 days/week. I grew accustomed to it and usually do more: about 30 minutes’ worth of running first thing in the morning, 35 minute brisk walk at lunch time, and about 20-30 minutes’ worth of strength training at least 2 days per week. (And I was, up until 5 months ago, your typical couch potato. Yesterday I ran a 5K race!) I’m feeling better than I have in many years, and my health has improved greatly.
As far as when to do it, I’d advise picking a time at which you’re most likely to stick to the habit. I don’t have much choice. I’ve got a career and 2 young kids, so the intense workout is first thing in the morning before everyone wakes up, then I do a little at lunch (we don’t have a shower at work, so I have to go moderate), and I squeeze in the strength at night. I have noticed that my morning run sometimes causes my blood glucose to go up a bit right afterwards (my CDE says its my body’s stress response), but then they’re really good the rest of the day. (I also found that having a small snack about 1/2 hour before helps.)
Here’s a useful link from Mayo Clinic, about blood sugar monitoring and exercise: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-exercise/DA00105
hi!
exercises are not dangerous at all! actually they are the important part of treatment, because of there useful influence on cardio-vascular system. you must only remember, that glucose blood level may decrease after jym. so control your glycemia level, eat after exercises and of course try not to overwork:)