For every excuse, there is a workable solution. Listed below are some of the most common excuses and suggested solutions. Before starting any physical activity, check with your health care provider to talk about the best physical activities for you. Be sure to discuss which activities you like, how to prepare, and what you should avoid.

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. Get Active! Español Spanish. Minus Related Pages. Being More Active Is Better for You If you have diabetes , being active makes your body more sensitive to insulin the hormone that allows cells in your body to use blood sugar for energy , which helps manage your diabetes.

Finding an activity you enjoy and having a partner helps you stick with it. You can start by walking for 10 minutes after dinner, gradually building up to 30 minutes most days. Check your blood sugar before and after you take a walk.

If you stick with it over time weeks, months, years , you will see more obvious results. It can be lots of fun if you find an activity you enjoy. Try doing a new activity a couple of times before deciding whether to continue with that activity.

All forms of exercise—aerobic, resistance, or doing both combined training —were equally good at lowering HbA1c values in people with diabetes. Resistance training and aerobic exercise both helped to lower insulin resistance in previously sedentary older adults with abdominal obesity at risk for diabetes.

Combining the two types of exercise proved more beneficial than doing either one alone. People with diabetes who walked at least two hours a week were less likely to die of heart disease than their sedentary counter- parts, and those who exercised three to four hours a week cut their risk even more.

These benefits persisted even after researchers adjusted for confounding factors, including BMI, smoking, and other heart disease risk factors.

Share This Page Share this page to Facebook Share this page to Twitter Share this page via Email. Print This Page Click to Print. Related Content. Heart Health. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

Newsletter Signup Sign Up. Close Thanks for visiting. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness , is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

I want to get healthier. Close Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Close Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness. Sign me up. Zone 2 training is a type of heart rate training.

It uses your maximal heart rate MHR as a guide for the intensity of the activity. There are five zones in total, ranging from very light to very hard intensity. When training in zone 2, your body optimizes using both fat and glucose for fuel. It achieves the highest amount of fat-burning for energy and improves the function of mitochondria.

You get the maximum effect of this type of cardio training by doing it regularly. The effect is cumulative, and over the long term, it significantly helps blood sugar control. High-intensity interval training HIIT combines both aerobic and anaerobic forms of exercise.

It alternates more extended periods of cardio with short bursts of high-intensity activities. In other words, HIIT gives you the best of both worlds!

Thanks to the wide variety of exercises available under the HIIT workout umbrella, you can easily tailor this method to suit your lifestyle while reaping the benefits of glucose control and shedding abdominal fat. Never discount the positive effect a stroll in the park can have on your health.

Walking causes your heart to beat a little faster and your breathing rate to increase. This is going to promote your muscles to use more glucose and helps regulate your blood sugar levels.

In fact, a study published in Diabetes Care shows that three short minute walks a day are as effective at lowering blood sugar levels as one long minute walk at the same pace.

The same study states that completing a short walk after your evening meal has the most significant effect on regulating your blood sugar levels. Remember, exercise does not have to be vigorous to be impactful. Walking is an effective physical activity to help control your blood sugar levels.

So, even a brisk walk after dinner can make a big difference to your metabolic health. Stability exercises improve flexibility and balance. These types of exercises include yoga, tai chi, stretching, and balance training.

These activities can certainly have a positive effect on blood sugar control. As discussed in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy , studies have shown that yoga, in particular, is very beneficial in reducing blood sugar levels.

This is due to its combination of anaerobic exercise mixed with stress-relieving practices. It helps to reduce rising levels of cortisol, therefore controlling the rise in blood sugar levels.

The positive effects of exercise on blood sugar control are clear. But, are there negatives that you need to consider? In short, not really. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to exercise safely.

If you are healthy and have no underlying health conditions or concerns, all exercise types are beneficial. That is a fact. There are a couple of things to look out for to maximize your performance and metabolic health. As mentioned, high-intensity workouts can cause a blood sugar spike.

Once you know how your body responds to exercise, you can prevent blood sugar spikes. If you do find that you have a considerable glucose response to exercise, pay attention to your pre-workout fueling, hydration, and electrolyte intake. This is where using a continuous glucose monitor for fitness and training may be helpful.

If you have diabetes, all forms of exercise are highly beneficial. But, there are extra precautions to take when exercising. To ensure you exercise safely, check your blood sugar levels before, during, and after working out.

Never exercise if your blood sugar levels are too high or too low before you start. This is because it can raise or lower your blood sugar levels even further, potentially causing you to become unwell. Prioritize bringing your blood sugar levels down before training.

If you have high glucose levels and no insulin in your system, your blood sugar levels during a workout will soar. This also puts you at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening state where your body breaks down fat too fast.

High-intensity forms of exercise can also cause an excessive glucose spike. This is something to be particularly aware of if you have diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, or use insulin medication. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the body cannot increase insulin levels to deal with the glucose spike.

Try eating a small snack to boost your blood sugar, then re-check your levels before exercising. Low blood sugar can also be a concern when working out, especially if you exercise for an extended period.

Check your blood sugar levels throughout exercising and lookout for signs of hypoglycemia, such as:. Understanding how your glucose levels change during exercise helps you exercise safely, reach your best performance, and meet your health goals.

One way to monitor your glucose in real-time is to use a CGM for running , weight lifting, or other activities. A CGM is a small sensor on the back of your arm you can wear for 14 days. Once in place, the CGM sensor will track your glucose levels at all times.

This lets you see for yourself how your glucose levels react to specific foods, stress, or exercise. Your blood sugar levels can significantly impact how your body feels and functions.

When you join the Nutrisense CGM program , our team of credentialed dietitians and nutritionists are available for additional support and guidance to help you reach your goals. Ready to take the first step? Start with our quiz to see how Nutrisense can support your health.

New research shows little risk of infection from prostate biopsies. Discrimination at work is linked to high blood pressure. Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud's phenomenon? For people who have diabetes—or almost any other disease, for that matter—the benefits of exercise can't be overstated.

Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raise healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve your general well-being. There are added benefits for people with diabetes: exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance.

Many studies underscore these and other benefits from exercise. Following are some highlights of those results:. In general, the best time to exercise is one to three hours after eating, when your blood sugar level is likely to be higher.

If you use insulin, it's important to test your blood sugar before exercising. Testing again 30 minutes later will show whether your blood sugar level is stable. It's also a good idea to check your blood sugar after any particularly grueling workout or activity.

If you're taking insulin, your risk of developing hypoglycemia may be highest six to 12 hours after exercising. Because of the dangers associated with diabetes, always wear a medical alert bracelet indicating that you have diabetes and whether you take insulin.

Also keep hard candy or glucose tablets with you while exercising in case your blood sugar drops precipitously. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness , is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School.

Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss from exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts.

PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. Sign up now and get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness. Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Recent Blog Articles. Under normal conditions, our bodies are able to allow sugar from the blood into our cells, returning blood levels into a normal range. When blood sugar levels are high, our pancreas secretes insulin , which alerts our bodies to soak up the glucose in the blood to use as energy now or store in the liver as glycogen for fuel later.

This process lowers the amount of sugar in the blood. Not to mention, a fairly steady blood sugar level is beneficial in maintaining balanced, sustained energy levels from morning to night.

For individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes , insulin resistance can alter the body's response to blood sugar; cells stop responding to the insulin, and glucose will stay outside of cells. As a result, blood sugar remains high. A new study published November 1, , in the journal Diabetologia adds a fascinating piece of evidence to that exercise aspect we mentioned earlier.

Apparently, the "what" exercise makes a difference, as does the "when. Read on for more about this new health study, and to discover other ways to balance your blood sugar.

The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study is a database of adults aged between 45 and 65 with a body mass index of 27 or greater. Before we go any further, take note that BMI's validity and relevance as an indicator of health is being called into question, but since they used to determine eligibility for this study, we wanted to mention it.

For this research, scientists invited all participants with a body size that was representative of their area in the Netherlands to be part of a control group; this ended up resulting in 6, participants. All of these individuals had a physical exam, which involved blood sugar samples that tabulated blood glucose and insulin levels while fasting and after eating.

They also completed questionnaires about lifestyle factors, and some had their liver fat content measured via an MRI. From this group, the researchers randomly selected people to wear an accelerometer and heart rate monitor for four days and nights to track activity levels and overall movement patterns.

To categorize exercise timing, the scientists separated the day into six-hour blocks:. Based on the activity trackers, the scientists sorted each participant into one of those blocks based on when they racked up the most moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. At the end of the data-gathering, participants were included in the analysis.

Activity spread throughout the day or activity only performed in the morning appeared to have no impact on liver fat content and insulin resistance, while afternoon and evening physical activity did.

In addition to the impact of insulin on blood sugar control, the other way glucose can enter cells is through exercise. Muscles require energy when we move and challenge them. To power us enough to complete the tasks we're asking them to do, our bodies allow glucose to slip into muscle cells.

The scientists admit that it's too early in the information-gathering process to explain exactly why afternoon and evening exercise showed better results than exercise in the morning. They also have yet to prove if shifting exercise timing from morning to afternoon or evening will improve activity, or if there is something else about those who have that P.

habit that might be moving the needle. This new study found that afternoon and evening exercise might provide the biggest benefits to blood sugar control. While this is interesting to keep in mind, it's vital to note that this is just one study, and a fairly small one, at that.

Larger, more diverse research is required to validate these findings. Plus, the most important moral of the story is that activity ANY time of day is beneficial. In fact, morning exercise might actually be your best option if you find it challenging to make exercise a part of your daily routine.

Translation: Early birds, keep up the great work if you're loving that 6 a. yoga class or walk! Keep in mind that exercise is just one of many healthy ways to lower your blood sugar. Sleep, hormones, medicine and other sneaky factors can impact blood sugar as well.

What's on our plate makes the biggest impact, of course, so we recommend sprinkling these 29 recipes to help keep blood sugar in check into your meal plan, too.

Up Next: These Are the Fastest Ways to Stabilize Your Blood Sugar If You Have Diabetes. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising.

Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content.

Know what your individual symptoms are so you can catch low blood sugar early and treat it. Low blood sugar can be dangerous and should be treated as soon as possible. Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel.

Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry or have other symptoms, check your blood sugar. Wait for 15 minutes and then check your blood sugar again. If you have problems with low blood sugar, ask your doctor if your treatment plan needs to be changed.

Many things can cause high blood sugar hyperglycemia , including being sick, being stressed, eating more than planned, and not giving yourself enough insulin. Over time, high blood sugar can lead to long-term, serious health problems.

Symptoms of high blood sugar include:. If you get sick , your blood sugar can be hard to manage. You may not be able to eat or drink as much as usual, which can affect blood sugar levels.

High ketones can be an early sign of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately. Ketones are a kind of fuel produced when fat is broken down for energy. When too many ketones are produced too fast, they can build up in your body and cause diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA.

DKA is very serious and can cause a coma or even death. Common symptoms of DKA include:. If you think you may have DKA, test your urine for ketones.

Follow the test kit directions, checking the color of the test strip against the color chart in the kit to see your ketone level. If your ketones are high, call your health care provider right away.

DKA requires treatment in a hospital. Talk to your doctor about how to keep your blood sugar levels within your target range. Your doctor may suggest the following:.

For people with diabetes, this can have some side effects. For example, if the body doesn't have enough insulin to use the glucose that's released during exercise, then the glucose stays in the blood, which leads to high blood sugar levels.

This is called hyperglycemia pronounced: hy-pur-gly-SEE-mee-uh. Not having enough insulin to use the sugar in the blood can also cause the body to burn fat for fuel. When the body starts to burn fat for fuel, substances called ketones are produced. People with diabetes shouldn't exercise if they have high levels of ketones in their blood because this can make them really sick.

If you have type 1 diabetes, your doctor will tell you how to check for ketones you may need to take a urine test before exercising and treat yourself to get back on track. The body's need for extra glucose during exercise can also cause low blood sugar levels called hypoglycemia , pronounced: hy-po-gly-SEE-mee-uh.

Low blood sugar can happen when the body uses up all the sugar that it's stored so there's no more to be released as glucose when the muscles demand it. This is especially true if insulin levels in the blood are still high after taking an injection.

You may need to check blood sugar levels and have an extra snack to prevent low blood sugar levels. If you're starting a rigorous exercise schedule, like training for a sport, your doctor may recommend that you adjust your insulin dosage to prevent low blood sugar levels.

All teens — not just those with diabetes — need to get a physical before they play a sport. Your doctor will let you know about any changes you should make to your testing schedule or medication while exercising or playing sports.

The doctor is likely to give the green light to any activities you want to start — after all, exercise is an important part of diabetes management. However, doctors may recommend that you steer clear of certain adventure sports like rock climbing, hang gliding, or scuba diving.

That's because a person could be seriously hurt if he or she has low blood sugar levels while doing these sports. Your doctor will help you learn what blood sugar levels make it a good or bad time to exercise.

He or she will also explain how to take action and get back in the game. If you notice any of the signs listed below, stop exercising and follow your diabetes management plan. Also, keep an eye on any cuts, scrapes, or blisters, and talk to your doctor if they're really red, swollen, or oozing pus — these could be signs of infection.

By being prepared and knowing how to follow your diabetes management plan, you'll be able to prevent diabetes problems during exercise.

Up Next: These Are the Fastest Ways to Stabilize Your Blood Sugar If You Have Diabetes. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content.

Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content.

List of Partners vendors. By Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor, level one sommelier and former fitness instructor and personal trainer who balances her love of food and drink with her passion for fitness.

Karla Walsh. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. Reviewed by Dietitian EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.

Jessica Ball, M. Trending Videos. What You Need to Know About Physical Activity and Diabetes. These Are the 5 Best Exercises for Your Health, According to a Harvard Doctor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Related Articles. Newsletter Sign Up.