Diabetes + Exercise
Editor’s Note: Consult your doctor before engaging in a new exercise regimen. Exercising with Type 1 diabetes can lead to potentially dangerous swings in your blood sugar levels.
Exercising with Type 1 diabetes is complicated. The type of exercise, time of day, length of your workout, types of insulin, pump vs. injections, the last time you ate, etc. are some of the many variables that determine how it will affect your blood sugar.
But regular exercise is also an important part of managing Type 1 diabetes and your general health, so learning how to make it part of your routine is worth the effort.
The primary risks of physical activity for the T1D athlete are essentially two:
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
To prepare for hypoglycemia, keep at least 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates on hand at all times. Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, tends to drive blood glucose down depending on how much insulin is already active in your bloodstream. Learning how to adjust insulin doses and time your exercise accordingly can significantly reduce your risk of hypoglycemia during and after exercise.
- Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
Certain high-intensity or anaerobic exercises, such as weight lifting or sprinting, can increase blood sugar levels. Learning how to adjust insulin doses and time your exercise accordingly can significantly reduce your risk of hyperglycemia during and after exercise.
Here, we offer a variety of resources to help you manage your blood sugar around different types of exercise and different methods of controlling the many variables that make it complicated.
Get Started
Start Working out with T1D
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Get Out There: Exercise Tips from T1D Athletes
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Get Moving with T1D: Exercise Basics
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Your Child Can Exercise Safely with T1D
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Avoid Exercise Lows: How to Time Your Workouts Around Insulin Doses
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Glucagon
Glucagon raises your blood sugar (treating hypoglycemia) while insulin lowers it (treating hyperglycemia or preventing it when taken before eating).MORE
10 Reasons For Hyperglycemia During Training
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Blood Sugar Control — During and After Exercise
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5 Moves to Bring Down Blood Sugars in a Pinch
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How To Prevent Lows During Exercise With Exercise Itself
Dr. Sheri Colberg shares her ways to prevent lows during exercise using specific exercises to do so. She has compiled these methods using research + athlete experiences.MORE
Don’t Crash: How to Manage Exercise Lows
Dive into the science behind the blood sugar drops during and after exercise so you can better understand and plan for them. MORE
Anticipate the Rise: How to Manage Exercise Induced Highs
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Tips: Endurance Exercise with a Closed-Loop Pump
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How Dehydration Can Spike Your Blood Sugar
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How to Adjust Your Basal Rates for Endurance Exercise Training
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Using an App to Track Blood Sugar Levels From Your Glucose Meter
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6 Ways to Make Sure Your Next Goal is a Success
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Ramp Up Your Exercise Performance
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Endurance Exercise & Weight-Gain: Why It Happens & How to Prevent It
Training for a marathon but gaining weight? Understand why it happens and how to prevent it...MOREDive Deeper
The 5 Go-To Yoga Practices That Saved My Life
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Swimming and T1D
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Riding On Insulin – Tips for Skiing and Snowboarding with T1D
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Yoga for People with Diabetes
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Backpacking 101: Tips from the Experts at Connected in Motion
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Yoga for Diabetes
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Tips for Beginning Climbers with T1D
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The T1D Guide to Running Your First Marathon
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Here, you’ll find a huge variety of personal stories on managing blood sugar levels during exercise from people living with Type 1 diabetes.
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Kendall Simmons and His T1D Diagnosis in the NFL
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years into his pro career, former NFL defensive lineman Kendall Simmons went on to win the Super Bowl.MORE
Talking T1D with Sam Fuld: Major League Baseball Player and Dad
When asked about managing his routine while on the road vs. at home, Sam stresses that every day is different no matter where he is. "If I’m playing and I’m 0 for 4 and I get no action in the...MORECycling
Top Irish Cyclist Diagnosed with Type 1
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Type 1 Training Tips from a National Champion Cyclist
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I went from “I can’t walk” to “I’m cycling to Paris”
Two days into taking insulin with no clue of what was to come next, I signed up for a 3-day event cycling from London to Paris in September 2016. At the time I had lost significant weight, had no musc...MORE
Cycling Cross-Country: T1D and Tubeless
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Transform Your Passion Into Character
David Lozano is a cyclist on Team Novo Nordisk, the first all diabetes professional cycling team.MORE
Life is Not a Problem to be Solved, it’s a Reality to Experience
Emanuel Mini is the first and only Latin American cyclist on Team Novo Nordisk, the first all diabetes professional cycling team.MORERunning
The Toughest Footrace on Earth
On March 11, 2016, Roddy Riddle, ultra-marathon runner from Scotland with Type 1 diabetes, will embark on the toughest race in the world and most certainly of his life — the 6633 Ultra Marathon of t...MORE
5 Tips for Running with Type 1 Diabetes
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A Runner’s Guide to T1D
Twenty years after her diagnosis, Stephanie Kahn is readying to run a half marathon and a full marathon in the same year. While her training is readying her body, it's her mind she feels shifting...MORE
How I Learned to Love my Body
For the first time in my life, I was okay listening to my body. I listened to it when it was in pain, or when it told me it needed a day off. MORE
T1D Cardiologist Balances Life with Marathon Running
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My Race to the Finish Line: I’m an Ironman with Type 1
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Bolus and Barbells — Heavy Weight Champion Inspires
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Party Animal Turned Physique Competitor
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Type 1 Powerlifter Redefines “Disability”
As far as personal fitness accomplishments, Chris currently holds four state records for powerlifting, and is on track to become a pro Powerlifter. "I can deadlift 606 pounds which is almost 3.5 ...MOREDance & Gymnastics
What It’s Like To Be a Ballerina with Type 1
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Dancing in the Macy’s Day Parade
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A Gymnast Superstar Lands on Her Feet
Gymnastics, just like diabetes management, requires hard work, commitment and perseverance. Gymnastics is my life and everyday I work through tough times until I reach the top. That’s what makes a c...MOREYoga
The 5 Go-To Yoga Practices That Saved My Life
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M is for Meditation
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Striving for a Personal Best
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Swimming On Insulin
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