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Exercise

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

Jane Sowerby

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.
 
I'm not type 1 but 2 and I would err on the side of caution for exercise for hypos but only in the beginning so you get used to it all.
Will you have a trainer? Will it be strenuous or light?

My exercise is walking and the odd swimming session. If I exercise to much I spike would you believe bummer so I watch what I do.
No sprinting for me 🙂
 
Outside of the usual stuff like walking the dogs my "Structured" exercise is Yoga, took this up about 3 months ago as something for general wellbeing & an activity to do with my Wife.... The benefits have been quite marked with a general increase in flexibility, strength, poise & relaxation. Other side affects have been related to a pinched nerve in the L4-L5 area causing foot drop, I now have much better mobility & stability in my left foot & ankle.
 
Dunno, I believe I've to walk 10,000 steps a day. Pipedreams! 🙄 Most I've ever managed is 6 miles.
 
Most I've ever managed is 6 miles
Reminds me of when we were in NZ last year, misread a sign at a trailhead to a waterfall, though it read 3km & it was actually 5km (each way)😱 Wife was really upset with me as her plantar fasciitis was playing up big time
 
Dunno, I believe I've to walk 10,000 steps a day. Pipedreams! 🙄 Most I've ever managed is 6 miles.
Ditto...6 miles is more than 10.000 steps...roughly 2000 steps per mile...so approximately 12000 steps...that's a great achievement!
 
Really? Excellent. :D
 
Really? Excellent. :D
Of course it depends on your size...the length of your stride...whether you have long legs...but...approximately...2000 steps per mile ...my maximum so far is about 9000...only 6000 today...knackered
 
The day in question (from NZ) I managed 25K though the last few steps were me walking around the hotel Parking Lot to try & get them in..... Have had a few 20K days
 
Good for you going to the gym! Trial and error is kind of what it takes really, start off being cautious and keep a diary of what you do, what you eat and what insulin you had taken. I find I need to reduce my quick acting insuling before I exercise, sometimes by as much as 50%. I I haven't got any novorapid still in my system then the BG can tend to go up with intense exercise like running, so I actually take 1.5 u Novorapid 30 mins before running, this was built up over several years experience though, and it still seems counter intuitive and a bit scary, but if I don't take it I end up with BG of 18! Keep some pop with you in case of hypos, and test before and after and make a note so you can try to improve next time. Best of luck!
 
I'm a type 2 and tried the gym with a trainer. Have to admit that I am not a fan of sport or lots of exercise and it was my first time at the gym. He was a very keen young man and after an hour and twenty minutes workout I staggered back home. BG was through the roof and the next day I was so stiff and sore. To my shame I never went back :(. The lesson to learn is to start slowly and don't let them push you too far. Now I exercise by walking each day and going to a pilates class once a week. I have also just acquired an exercise bike and am looking forward to trying it out. Good luck with it and I hope that you enjoy your time at the gym and that it helps you. 🙂 Big pat on the back for you Ditto, well done! 🙂
 
Good for you going to the gym! Trial and error is kind of what it takes really, start off being cautious and keep a diary of what you do, what you eat and what insulin you had taken. I find I need to reduce my quick acting insuling before I exercise, sometimes by as much as 50%. I I haven't got any novorapid still in my system then the BG can tend to go up with intense exercise like running, so I actually take 1.5 u Novorapid 30 mins before running, this was built up over several years experience though, and it still seems counter intuitive and a bit scary, but if I don't take it I end up with BG of 18! Keep some pop with you in case of hypos, and test before and after and make a note so you can try to improve next time. Best of luck!
Thanks, this is very useful.
 
I'm a type 2 and tried the gym with a trainer. Have to admit that I am not a fan of sport or lots of exercise and it was my first time at the gym. He was a very keen young man and after an hour and twenty minutes workout I staggered back home. BG was through the roof and the next day I was so stiff and sore. To my shame I never went back :(. The lesson to learn is to start slowly and don't let them push you too far. Now I exercise by walking each day and going to a pilates class once a week. I have also just acquired an exercise bike and am looking forward to trying it out. Good luck with it and I hope that you enjoy your time at the gym and that it helps you. 🙂 Big pat on the back for you Ditto, well done! 🙂
It sounds like you had a very bad PT, that is a long time to exercise. I am definitely going to start slowly.
 
i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.
My gym is the local forestry where my dog insists on an hours walk each morning 🙂
 
i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.
Good luck Jane, I hope you enjoy it 🙂 As others have said, take it very gently at first, and test regularly - make sure you have some jelly babies to hand (or whatever you use to treat lows with!). Record everything and pretty soon you'll get a feel for how your body reacts and be able to start adjusting your regime accordingly e.g. reducing pre- and post-exercise insulin. Most people find that extra exercise makes them more sensitive to insulin for up to 24-40 hours afterwards, so you may have to adjust your long-acting insulin as well 🙂

Also, different forms of exercises can have different effects - for example, my levels stay fairly steady when doing running/aerobic exercise, but levels can fall quickly when doing strength type exercises. It can be a very individual thing how you react, so the key is to be cautious and learn gradually from experience 🙂

When I was first diagnosed I wanted to get back into my running quickly, and found The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook very useful 🙂

Let us know how you get on! 🙂
 
Starting slowly and not overdoing it at first is really important. I had been very fit but had lapsed somewhat. I was diagnosed as type 1 in 2013 but later re-assessed and re-diagnosed as type 2. I started slowly but have now turned into a bit of an exercise junkie. This is partly down to the fact that the fitter I become the less of an issue diabetes seems to be. I can't really comment on balancing insulin as even when I was using it I didn't have many problems, probably due to my actually being type 2. My post about how I got myself fit again is called 'Tiny Steps' and can be found here:

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/tiny-steps.63909/
 
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