The Best Exercises If You Have Diabetes

Medically Reviewed by Michael Dansinger, MD on January 28, 2023

Exercise is good for pretty much everyone. It’s especially important if you have diabetes. Workouts can do all kinds of things for you, like lower your blood sugar and blood pressure, boost your energy, and help you sleep better. If physical, high-impact exercises aren’t for you, there are plenty of other options.

It’s a simple way to get exercise and fresh air. It can lower your stress, too. A brisk stroll of 30 minutes to an hour 3 or 4 times a week is one way to hit your target. It’s easy to get started: Take Fido around the neighborhood or walk to the store instead of driving. Once you’ve made it a habit, it can be rewarding — and motivating — to track your steps and your progress.

This can be a fun way to get your exercise. Just shake your groove thing for 25 minutes, 3 days a week to help your heart, lower your blood sugar, ease stress levels, and burn calories. You don’t need a partner to get started, either. A chair can be good support if you need it.

This is one aerobic exercise that doesn’t strain your joints like other ones can. It also lets you work muscles in your upper and lower body at the same time. Hitting the water is also good for your heart. It can also lower cholesterol and help you burn serious calories. If a lifeguard is on duty, let them know you have diabetes.

Fighting diabetes can be as easy as riding a bicycle. Whether you use a stationary one or hit the road, 30 minutes a day 3 to 5 times a week can get your heart rate up, burn blood sugar, and help you lose weight without hurting your knees or other joints.

This can be a healthy and easy way to burn calories and get your heart and lungs working faster, especially if you have type 2 diabetes. Going up and down stairs for 3 minutes about an hour or two after a meal is a good way to burn off blood sugar. You can do it anywhere there’s a staircase, like when you need a break from work.

You do this with free weights or resistance bands. It can lower your blood sugar and help make your muscles and bones stronger. You get the most out of it if you do it twice a week — in addition to your aerobic stuff.  You can do many of these exercises at home, like:

• Lifting canned goods or water bottles
• Push-ups
• Sit-ups
• Squats
• Lunges

If the idea of traditional exercise isn’t for you, don’t worry. Time in your garden counts as both aerobic activity and strength training. It gets your blood going (since you’re walking, kneeling, and bending). It also builds muscles and helps your bones (since you’re digging, lifting, and raking). You’re also outside, where your stress levels can be lower.

It’s worked for some 5,000 years as a low-impact exercise that can make you stronger and more flexible. Yoga can also help with balance. The motions, poses, and focus on breathing may also ease stress and help build muscle. That can keep your blood sugar levels more stable.

This ancient Chinese art uses slow, controlled movements — along with visualization and deep breathing — to build strength. It can also help with mobility, balance, and flexibility. This gentle exercise can also lower your stress level. It may also help prevent nerve damage in your feet.

At least 30 minutes of aerobic activity 5 days a week can help the insulin in your body work better. We’re talking exercise that gets your heart and lungs going and kicks your blood flow into a higher gear. If you haven’t been active in a while, start with 5 to 10 minutes a day and build up over time.  Talk with your doctor before you start.

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SOURCES:

American Diabetes Association: “Aerobic Activity,” “Injury-Free Exercise – 11 Quick Safety Tips,” “Physical Activity is Important,” “What We Recommend. ”

Mayo Clinic: “Diabetic Neuropathy” “Healthy Lifestyle Fitness.”

Cleveland Clinic: “5 Best Exercises for People with Diabetes.”

American Heart Association: “American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults.”

Diabetes.Co.UK: “Stair Climbing After Meals Improves Blood Sugar Levels In Type 2 Diabetes, Study Reports.”

University of Florida: “Yoga History.”

Tai Chi For Health Institute: “How Does Tai Chi Help For Diabetes?”

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The Best 10 Exercises If You Have Diabetes

If you live with type 2 diabetes, exercising regularly can help you manage your blood sugar levels and weight. It may also help you reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, and promote overall health and well-being.

Exercise can also help prevent the development of diabetes in people who have prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) encourages people to get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week.

The benefits of exercising are independent of weight loss. However, compliance with an exercise program has to be consistent in order to see lasting results.

If you’re sedentary and considering starting an exercise program, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor first to make sure there are no restrictions or special precautions. It’s always a good idea to start gradually and build up to your personal goal.

Not sure where to start? Here are 10 exercises that can help you reach your fitness goals.

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment to get moving.

If you have a supportive pair of shoes and a safe place to walk, you can start today. In fact, you can meet your recommended minimum target for aerobic fitness by going for a brisk 30-minute walk five days per week.

According to a 2021 review, walking can help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood pressure, HbA1c levels, and body mass index.

Roughly half of people with type 2 diabetes have arthritis. The two conditions have several risk factors in common, including obesity.

Diabetic neuropathy, a condition that occurs when the nerves become damaged, can also cause joint pain in people with type 2 diabetes.

If you have lower joint pain, consider choosing low impact exercise. Cycling, for example, can help you meet your fitness goals while minimizing strain on your joints.

Aquatic activities provide another joint-friendly exercise option. For example, swimming, water aerobics, aqua jogging, and other aquatic activities can give your heart, lungs, and muscles a workout, while putting little stress on your joints.

A 2017 review found that aquatic exercise can help lower blood sugar levels, much like land based exercise does.

If you find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise, it might help to join a recreational sports team. The opportunity to socialize with teammates and the commitment you make to them might help you find the motivation you need to show up each week.

Many recreational sports offer a good aerobic workout. Consider trying basketball, soccer, softball, pairs tennis, or ultimate frisbee.

Signing up for an aerobic dance or other fitness class might also help you meet your exercise goals. For instance, Zumba is a fitness program that combines dance and aerobic movements for a fast-paced workout.

A 2015 study found that women with type 2 diabetes were more motivated to exercise after taking part in Zumba classes for 16 weeks. Participants also improved their aerobic fitness and lost weight.

Weightlifting and other strengthening activities help build your muscle mass, which can increase the number of calories you burn each day. Strength training may also help improve your blood sugar control, according to the ADA.

If you want to incorporate weightlifting into your weekly exercise routine, you can use weight machines, free weights, or even heavy household objects, such as canned goods or water bottles.

To learn how to lift weights safely and effectively, consider joining a weightlifting class or asking a professional fitness trainer for guidance.

Weights aren’t the only tool you can use to strengthen your muscles. You can also perform a wide variety of strengthening activities with resistance bands.

To learn how to incorporate them into your workouts, speak with a professional trainer, take a resistance band class, or watch a resistance band workout video.

In addition to increasing your strength, exercising with resistance bands may provide modest benefits to your blood sugar control, according to a 2018 study.

In calisthenics, you use your own bodyweight to strengthen your muscles. Common calisthenic exercises include pushups, pullups, squats, lunges, and abdominal crunches.

Whether you choose to strengthen your muscles with weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight, try to work out every major muscle group in your body.

To give your body time to recover, experts suggest taking a day off from muscle-strengthening activities between each session of strength training.

Pilates is a popular fitness program that’s designed to improve core strength, coordination, and balance. According to a 2020 study of older adult women with type 2 diabetes, it may also help improve blood sugar control.

Consider signing up for a Pilates class at your local gym or Pilates studio. Many instructional videos and books are also available.

According to a 2016 review, yoga can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and weight. It might also help lower your blood pressure, improve the quality of your sleep, and boost your mood.

If you’re interested in trying yoga, sign up for a class at a local studio or gym. A trained professional can help you learn how to move from one pose to another, using the proper posture and breathing technique.

Always talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen. In general, ensure you’re adequately hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

Be sure to carefully monitor your blood sugar levels as well to keep them within your target range.

Which exercise is best for lowering blood sugar?

In general, regular exercise can reduce blood sugar over time. Exercises, such as light walking, cycling, and other low impact movements, can be helpful.

Which exercises should people with diabetes avoid?

Exercises to avoid if you have diabetes will depend on any complications you’re experiencing as a result of your condition.

For example, those with high blood pressure should avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting.

Can diabetes be cured by exercise?

A combination of diet and exercise can reverse diabetes in some people.

A 2020 study found that 61 percent of participants with early diabetes who underwent a highly regimented 1-year intensive lifestyle that included a low calorie diet and regular exercise no longer met the criteria for diabetes.

Regular physical activity is important, not only for managing type 2 diabetes but also for promoting your overall health.

If you have any other health conditions in addition to type 2 diabetes, talk with your doctor before starting a new fitness routine. They can help you learn how to stay safe and minimize your risk of injury, while meeting your fitness goals.

For more tips on living with type 2 diabetes, download the free Bezzy T2D app, one of the chronic condition communities from Healthline. Not only can you find expert resources on type 2 diabetes, but we’ll connect you with real people who understand what you’re going through.

You can ask questions, seek advice, and build relationships with others who get it. Download the app for iPhone or Android.

Read this article in Spanish.

How to reduce blood sugar levels

Physical exercises in diabetes help to start the physiological processes in the human body at full capacity, achieving:

• absorption of glucose by working muscles and a decrease in its concentration in the blood;
• increase energy expenditure and reduce body fat;
• normalization of metabolism and blood pressure.

Muscles consume 20 times more glucose during exercise than at rest. The process does not stop immediately – exercise to lower blood sugar can have an effect 2-3 or even 6 hours after the end of the workout, which can cause delayed hypoglycemia. If you have diabetes and you exercise regularly, then you need a glucometer to constantly monitor your sugar levels. It is also necessary to have enough glucometer strips and keep track of their expiration date to be sure of the correct test result.

Diabetic exercise should not be started at levels below 5.0 mmol/L and above 14.0 mmol/L. With a lack of glucose, eat 15 grams of fast carbohydrates and check your sugar level after 15 minutes. An excess indicator requires the introduction of an additional amount of insulin, after which you should wait for the normalization of the value. You can start exercising no earlier than an hour after eating and injecting insulin.

Before exercising, place your blood glucose meter close by and prepare a sufficient amount of test strips for the glucometer. Measurements will need to be carried out not only at the beginning of the lesson, but also after 30 minutes of training, and 2 hours after the end. This rule is especially true for gymnastics outside the home. If you are far from where you live, you can buy a glucometer at the nearest pharmacy.

Exercises for diabetics follow the general pattern:

• intense short workouts require additional fast carbohydrates;
• the longer the workout, the higher the likelihood of delayed hypoglycemia, so slow carbohydrates are needed 1-1.5 hours before class.

On a day when there were long classes, a nightly control of sugar is necessary, especially if the activity took place in the evening. Delayed hypoglycemia is possible even after 6-10 hours.

Diabetic exercise: which is better

In the case of a diagnosis of diabetes, physical activity with a uniform load is recommended:

• Nordic walking;
• jogging;
• slopes;
• yoga;
• swimming;
• flexion-extension of the legs.

When choosing a complex, alternate slow and active exercises. Don’t forget to monitor your glucose levels, for which you will need a blood sugar meter with enough strips to go with it.

When exercising with diabetes, follow the safety rules:

• don’t try to “set records” right away, start with 5-10 minutes and gradually work up to 30-60 minutes;
• drink water before and during exercise;
• do not exercise if you feel that it causes discomfort.

A prerequisite for safety is keeping a diary of well-being, which records:

• date and time;
• resting heart rate;
• glucose level before exercise;
• training duration:
• completed exercises;
• pulse rate after exercise;
• sugar levels 30 minutes and 2 hours after training.

If diabetics exercise for a long time or shortly before sleep, check blood glucose at night to avoid sudden hypoglycemia. Just in case, put a source of fast carbohydrates nearby. Be sure to record the received numbers in the diary, and if you assume that you do not want to get up for this at night, then you should buy a glucometer with the function of recording the last measurements.

Exercises for the pancreas in diabetes came to exercise therapy from yoga. Easy for beginners, asanas (poses) work out the muscles of the hips, back, buttocks and pelvic area. Exposure accelerates blood circulation and stimulates the work of internal organs.

Leg Raise

Lie down, raise your legs at an angle of 90 ⁰ and then slowly extend them up and fully extend. Freeze for 1-3 minutes, while trying to keep the back of the head and shoulders firmly pressed to the floor. Return to starting position.

Trunk lowering with legs apart

Take a seated position with your feet together and your knees out to the sides. Holding onto your ankles with your hands, slowly lie on your back, freeze in this position for 5 minutes and return to the starting position.

Straight Leg Curl

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, and then stretch forward as far as you can. Try to wrap your hands around your feet and touch your chin to your knees. Freeze in this position for 1 minute, then return to the starting position.

Leg raise with support

Lie on your back, lift your legs up, holding your lower back. Freeze in the birch pose for 30 seconds, then slowly lower your legs and rest.

Dog posture

Lie on your stomach, lean on your hands and slowly raise your torso. Keep your forearms perpendicular to the floor, bend your arms at the elbows. Feel the tension in your hips and abdomen. Hold for 30 seconds, trying not to tilt your head back.

Rapid blood sugar lowering exercise involves intense short-term exercise. For example, it can be a five-minute run in place, in which fast and slow movements alternate. Optionally, high or low jumps are added.

Bubnovsky’s exercises for diabetes

Diabetes training aims not only to reduce blood sugar levels, but also to prevent negative physiological manifestations. For example, deterioration of capillary patency, which is especially dangerous in the ankle area. In this condition, the so-called “diabetic foot” is formed with insufficient blood circulation, which can even lead to amputation.

Sergei Bubnovsky, a well-known orthopedic traumatologist, developed a set of exercises that restores the elasticity of muscles, ligaments and blood vessels with excess glucose in the blood.

The first part of the cycle is done on a sports platform or step:

• place the toe on the step and leave the heel hanging;
• while inhaling – hold on to the railing or the gymnastic wall and rise to the toe, while exhaling – return to the heel.

Perform 3 sets of 20 cycles each.

The second part of the complex is done in a sitting position on a chair:

• straighten your legs in front of you and rotate your foot 1 minute to the right, then to the left;
• rest your heels on the floor, lift your toes and make circular movements, trying not to tear your heels off the floor;
• repeat the exercise, only now keep your socks on the floor, and rotate your heels;
• Pull the leg bent at the knee to the chest, grab the foot with the palm of your hand and straighten the leg in front of you.

After training, Bubnovsky recommends taking a cold foot bath, foot massage and foot cream.

Where to buy

If you or your loved ones have diabetes, which involves constant monitoring of blood sugar levels, the online store of medical equipment “Ortop” can offer you to buy glucometers from the world’s best manufacturers and sets of test strips for them. Also on sale is a lancet for a glucometer, which allows you to get a drop of blood almost painlessly.

Before buying You will be consulted free of charge by experts with medical education. Payment for the selected items – in any way convenient for you. Delivery in Kyiv – by courier or postal services, in Ukraine – by the operator “Nova Poshta”.

Take care of your health, monitor your blood sugar levels, and we will help you with this!

Updated: 05/27/2021

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Physical activity for type 2 diabetes: Tips from the Onetouch brand

The article was checked by an expert endocrinologist.

Contents

• Sports activities for diabetes
• Features of exercises for diabetes mellitus of various compensation
• Problems of physical rehabilitation and contraindications
• Complex of physiotherapy exercises for diabetes
• How to avoid hypoglycemia after exercise
• What time should breakfast, lunch and dinner be served?

Sports activities in diabetes

Diabetes mellitus develops due to lack of insulin in the body. A person’s need for this hormone is great; in diabetes, its deficiency can be complete or partial. Due to the lack of insulin, significant metabolic disorders develop, in particular, an increase in the level of glucose in the blood and its detection in the urine.

Diabetes mellitus imposes certain changes on a person’s lifestyle. In addition to strict control of nutrition, it is important for the patient not to forget about regular physical exercises. A reasonable load is necessary not only to maintain good shape, but also as one of the elements of the fight against the disease.

Sports activities improve metabolic processes in the tissues of the body, utilize glucose and help strengthen the immune system. Physical exercises prevent the addition of comorbidities that often accompany people with diabetes: atherosclerosis, hypertension, kidney failure, gangrene of the lower extremities.

It is important to calculate the load correctly and choose exactly the type of activity that will work for the benefit of the body. In this case, playing sports will not only have a beneficial effect on the state of the body, but also cheer you up.

Features of exercise in diabetes mellitus of various compensation

In case of type 1 diabetes, it is important to administer insulin in a timely manner and adhering to the correct algorithm of actions. In addition, a person should be attentive to his well-being and, if signs of deterioration appear, stop activity.

• Patients on insulin therapy planning strenuous exercise should consult their physician to adjust their insulin dosage at that time.
• If there are signs of hyperglycemia during an activity, stop the activity. You can resume training the next day, when the symptoms have completely disappeared.
• If during the training the patient shows signs of hypoglycemia (trembling in the hands, an acute feeling of hunger, general weakness, blurred vision), it is required to stop the session and take a sweet drink, a few pieces of sugar or a candy.
• If severe weakness and fatigue are regularly felt after training, it is necessary to check the sugar level and review the current load in order to reduce it.

Intensity and duration of exercise are affected by:

• degree of disease control,
• age,
• the presence of complications and concomitant diseases.

For patients with diabetes during treatment in a hospital, medical institutions organize classes under the supervision of an instructor. At home, you can do the exercises yourself, adhering to certain recommendations. Including the duration of classes – from 30 to 60 minutes, at least 3 times a week.

There are other recommendations for physical exercise for patients with various forms of diabetes, taking into account, for example, therapy.

In type 2 diabetics receiving insulin or certain oral antidiabetic drugs, physical activity may cause hypoglycemia.
Therefore, it is important to prevent the development of hypoglycemia.

Recommendations for the prevention of hypoglycemia:

• For short-term physical activity (no more than 2 hours), the issue of additional intake of carbohydrates is decided after control of sugar levels before and after exercise.
• With prolonged physical activity (more than 2 hours), it is important to plan it! This will help adjust the doses of insulin and antidiabetic drugs. It also requires more frequent glycemic control – every 2-3 hours – and, if necessary, additional intake of carbohydrates.
• An older or physically disabled person should be as active as possible. Doing housework, exercise therapy in a sitting and lying position, short walks.

Tasks of physical rehabilitation and contraindications

The main tasks of physical therapy in diabetes mellitus:

• Normalization of the psycho-emotional state.
• Stimulation of working capacity.
• Improving the functioning of the respiratory system.
• Improving the efficiency of the cardiovascular system.

Exercise in type 2 diabetes is aimed at normalizing weight and lowering blood glucose. Against the background of physical activity, the usual dose of insulin reduces sugar more effectively. Without proper correction of insulin therapy, severe hypoglycemia can develop.

Therapeutic gymnastics is necessarily indicated for patients with diabetes mellitus with a positive response of the body. Another important condition for exercise is the absence of hypoglycemia during exercise.

There are contraindications for exercise therapy:

• Decompensation of diabetes mellitus or the presence of serious complications.
• Concomitant cardiovascular pathology (aneurysm, arrhythmia, circulatory failure).
• The response of the body to physical activity in the form of pronounced fluctuations in blood sugar.

Therapeutic exercise complex for diabetes

You can start physical exercises with diabetes by walking. Such a load is easy to dose, and it is acceptable both for people without complications, and in the presence of some complications. After the body gets used and adjusts, you can add jogging, exercise bikes, and then a group of exercises specifically designed for people with diabetes.

Regular exercise in type 2 diabetes will help:

• speed up metabolic processes in tissues;
• reduce the percentage of adipose tissue;
• strengthen the cardiovascular system;
• normalize blood pressure;
• lower cholesterol levels;
• strengthen the muscular frame.

Before you start exercising, of course, you need to consult a doctor so that physical exercises are selected taking into account your individual characteristics.

How to avoid hypoglycemia after exercise

Physical activity is always associated with increased energy expenditure. In the human body, the source of energy is glucose, which is actively consumed by the muscles during sports. In patients with diabetes, both during and after exercise, blood sugar may decrease, which may cause symptoms of hypoglycemia.

To prevent this condition, depending on the blood sugar level, it is necessary to take a certain amount of complex carbohydrates (sandwich, apple, biscuits, etc.). If, despite this, signs of hypoglycemia still appear, the training should be stopped, the sugar level should be determined and additional carbohydrates should be taken, and next time the dose of insulin or hypoglycemic drugs should be reduced.

Before starting regular exercise, it is important to visit a cardiologist and listen to his recommendations, as well as make an ECG to make sure there are no contraindications.

The principle of nutrition in type 1 diabetes is to split meals evenly throughout the day. Therefore, it is necessary to focus primarily on one’s own activity. Got out of bed, did exercises and other morning routines? You can also refresh yourself. With normal activity at 16 hours during the day, all main and additional meals should be evenly distributed.