Before you plan your exercise program, you should talk with your doctor or diabetes educator so they can help you do this safely. Usually, doctors recommend an exercise tolerance or "stress test" for all people with diabetes over the age of 35. When you plan a program of daily activity, your age, weight, physical limitations and prior exercise experiences will be taken into consideration. The exercise you choose does not have to be strenuous or difficult; a daily walking program can be very beneficial with minimal effort. Select an exercise or variety of exercises you enjoy and can do regularly.
It is better to exercise daily or every other day rather than only on weekends or sporadically. Start slowly. 5 or 10 minutes a day is a good beginning if you have been very inactive.
To exercise safely, your blood sugar must be onitored carefully and frequently. Blood sugar can change not only during exercise, but after exercise as well (even as much as 24 hours later). Usually the blood sugar drops after exercise but in some cases it does go up. If your blood sugar is high (greater than 240) when you begin exercise you may see this effect. For this reason you should discuss monitoring plans with either your doctor or diabetes educator before you begin to exercise.
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Exercise for People with Diabetes
