Exercising with Diabetes

Your doctor tells you exercise is one of the best ways to manage your diabetes. But you’ve also heard exercise can affect your blood glucose (sugar) levels, and you’re worried about having an “episode” while you’re jogging or at the gym. What should you do?

People with diabetes are at risk for developing hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, when they work out. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), your blood sugar can drop while you’re exercising, immediately afterward or even the next day.

Managing your blood sugar while trying to stay active can seem like a juggling act at first, but don’t let that discourage you. Keep these tips in mind:

• Ask your doctor if any medications you take can cause hypoglycemia. If so, your doctor can help you determine whether or not to lower your dosage before workouts.
• Don’t skip any meals before exercising.
• Check your blood sugar level before and after exercise.
• Have snacks handy during jogs or gym sessions. The ADA recommends consuming at least 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates (sports drink, soda, glucose tablets, etc.) if you start to experience symptoms of low blood sugar, such as shakiness, dizziness or blurred vision, during exercise. Stop exercising for at least 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar. Don’t resume exercise until your blood sugar reaches 100 mg/dL.
• Keep an exercise journal. For each session, write down the type and duration of exercise, time of day, your blood sugar readings, and what foods you ate beforehand. You should be able to see patterns after a few weeks and can use this information to better control your blood sugar during future workouts.

Why not make your smartphone work harder for you? These apps can simplify your life and put the power to control diabetes at your fingertips.

Using the Glooko MeterSync Cable, you can connect your smartphone to your blood sugar meter and automatically sync your readings to your phone, eliminating the time-consuming process of manually logging your numbers.

This app helps you track all the factors that affect your blood sugar, including daily carb intake, medication use, weight, blood sugar readings and activity level. Diabetes Buddy’s nutrition database can also help you make smarter food choices.

This app connects you to the largest diabetes network on the Internet, where you can post questions and get advice from other people with the disease.

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