You know how important it is to carefully manage your diet and blood glucose readings, but did you know exercise can play a major role in diabetes management? Let’s see what special challenges living with diabetes can present.
How Does Exercise Affect Patients With Diabetes?
It’s true exercise programs can improve blood sugar control for patients with diabetes, but it’s important to work closely with your doctor to devise a healthy, effective plan suited to your unique needs. This is especially true if your lifestyle has historically been more sedentary than active. It’s important to start slowly if this is your situation. Track your blood sugar levels before, during and after exercise sessions to prevent dramatic and potentially dangerous fluctuations.
Testing thirty minutes before you plan to exercise is important, while following these guidelines or those put in place by your doctor:
- Lower than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) –Eat a small snack consisting of 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates before beginning your workout; your blood sugar may be too low for safe exercise.
- 100 to 250 mg/dL (5.6 to 13.9 mmol/L) –Unless your doctor advises you otherwise, this is generally a safe range prior to a workout.
- 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) or higher –Before starting your workout, test your urine for ketones. This blood glucose level paired with the presence of ketones means your body does not have enough insulin to adequately control blood sugar. Starting your workout with a high ketone level means you could be risking ketoacidosis, which requires emergency treatment.
Managing Diabetes
At Internal Medicine Diagnostic Centre, we provide our patients with the very best in primary care. This includes the management of chronic conditions like diabetes. Call us today to schedule an appointment, so we can start working together to control your condition and maintain a high quality of life.