Diabetic exercise tips

Exercise and diabetes have a complicated relationship, but with good management and a bit of know-how, you can lift, run and sweat like the best of them.

Whether you’re looking to bulk up, tone down or become a lean, mean, gym crunching machine, diabetes doesn’t have to get in your way.

What should type 1 diabetics do before exercise?

Before you start doing any excercise, you need to make sure your blood sugar is in a good place.

When you exercise, blood goes around your body faster, burning off sugar as it does it. If you start any exercise with low sugars, they’ll get much lower in no time at all. Anything below 5 is running a risk.

However, it’s not that simple. If your blood sugar is high, exercise will actually make it higher. What you need to find is the perfect balance. Anywhere between 6 and 8, maybe even 9 would be fine.

I’ve started exercise with sugars of 11 before and it's worked out fine. I’ve tried with sugars of 5 before and it's not gone so well. I find not having any carbs or insulin an hour before exercise helps, ‘cos my body’s not trying to do any complicated maths as I work out. This leaves me focussed on getting buff.

Is cardio different to strength training for diabetics?

Different kinds of exercise will affect your blood sugar in different ways, just to make your life more simple.

Cardio, such as running, swimming, football or anything else that gets your heart pounding, tends to make your sugar supplies go quicker.

Strength training, like lifting weights, will still make a dent on your blood sugar, but it won’t happen as fast. Still, if you start low it will get lower. It’s never nice to feel faint under something heavy. (Trust me, I know.)

Whatever you’re doing, check your levels and have a sugary snack nearby, just in case. Not sure what kind of sugar you need? Check out this extra sweet guide.

Is it possible for type 1 diabetics to bulk up?

Gaining muscle for type 1 diabetics is definitely possible, it just comes with its own unique challenges.

Challenge one is eating. If you want to gain weight you have to eat more calories than you burn off through exercise. Aim for protein-heavy meals three times a day, with snacks in between. Try and keep the carbs low to stop your bloog sugar levels running too high.

You can get diabetic friendly protein shakes too, which will help you build up muscle without building your sugar levels. I’ve always found The Protein Works to be a good site for getting what we need, but other sources are available. You do you, hun.

Is dieting safe for type 1 diabetics?

If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. But you'll need to do this safely. Burning off calories also means burning off sugar, so regular blood sugar checks are important. You also shouldn't just skip meals all together. Eat healthier, not less, and always prioritise your diabetic needs over your weight-loss requirements. There are loads of diabetic fitness influencers out there who are a) fitter than me, and b) more knowledgeable about this subject matter. Go forth and find them.

Won't high blood sugar help with weight loss?

If you're a type 1 diabetic, you may well have been very skinny when you were diagnosed. That's because consistently high blood sugar levels produce ketones which eat away at your fat reserves.

So in one way, sure, high blood sugar will help you lose weight.

In another way, this is incredibly dangerous and you should never, ever, ever do it. People have lost weight for years without resorting to such a deadly method, and a good exercise and eating routine will be far more effective without the risk of impending death.

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