Diabetes : Exercise (BD Medical - Diabetes Care)

  
 

In this section you will find some useful information on sport and on ways to adapt one’s lifestyle when exercising:

   
  • To keep fit and healthy
  • To lower your blood glucose level
  • To make your insulin or tablets work better
  • To control your weight

However, in order to exercise safely:
  • Your diabetes should be under good control.
  • You should have some basic knowledge of the benefits and risk of the sport that you intend to practise.
  • You should know how to adapt your treatment.

Before starting any activity, a complete medical checkup should be carried out by your doctor in order to check:

  • Your heart: blood pressure, electrocardiogram, stress-test (recommended over 35 years old and/or 15 years of diabetes).
  • Your feet: to detect any potential neuropathy.!
  • Your eyes: to detect any potential retinopathy that can worsen with exercise.
   
As long as you take sensible precautions, there is no reason why you should not practice the sport you like. However, exercising does not necessarily mean running a marathon and gentle activities like walking, hoovering or walking up stairs can be beneficial too.

Each sport has its own characteristics

  • Gentle daily activities such as walking, polishing, hoovering and gardening are accessible to everyone.
  • Endurance sports (cycling, golf, football...) are recommended if practiced regularly and progressively.
  • Mountain activities, because of the change in altitude, require special training and a medical sport check-up.
  • Because of the specific conditions, a moderate hyperglycaemia without ketosis is advisable before practising any water sports.
  • Be aware that intensive or aggressive sports (tennis, judo...) may result in hypoglycaemia if duration and intensity are not planned beforehand.
  • Other sports such as scuba-diving, climbing or gliding are either unadvisable or should only be practiced under close medical supervision.

Any form of exercise should ideally be planned in advance so that you can adjust your treatment and/or your diet to make allowances.
Frequent blood glucose testing will also help you to "know where you are" and avoid any problems.
As well as being fun and enjoyable, regular exercise will not only make you feel good but also help you.

Regular exercise is good for your health
Ask your diabetes specialist nurse for more advice