Exercises – Diabetes Under Control

We all know managing diabetes can feel exhausting. It is a chronic disease that requires extreme levels of care and precautions. It is quite normal to feel low and tired during diabetes care and not finding enough motivation to keep going. Merely saying that one should evade negative thoughts and try to focus on positive thoughts won’t help. Yes, it is true that focusing on positive thoughts is important, but there are still some practical tips that might help you more to maintain motivation when you feel low.

Tips To Maintain Motivation During Diabetes Care

Take Baby Steps:

Most of the time, people feel exhausted after only a short span of time. It usually happens when they’re all worked up in managing diabetes. Take baby steps when you start your diabetes care. Start with 10-15 minutes of walk and then gradually increase your speed and duration.

Keep Track Of Your Exercises:

Exercising is probably the most draining part of diabetes care, but it is also one of the most effective means of diabetes management. Keep a record of your exercises. Mention the workouts you did each day and the duration you spent. Whenever you feel low, you can jump back to your exercise log and see how better you have done with each passing day. This log will also help you understand which exercises work better for you, which routine is easier to do and what activities you truly enjoy.

Find A Partner To Exercise:

Having an exercise buddy can help you vastly with staying motivated. If you have a partner with whom you exercise every day, you feel accountable and keep going. Your exercising partner will also help to cheer up the atmosphere around you when you are breaking a sweat.

Eat What You Truly Enjoy:

There are so many foods that are good for diabetes, such as green vegetables, avocados, strawberries, flaxseeds, etc. It is not necessary that you end up liking all these foods. You must include in your diet the food that you genuinely like. Otherwise, you will feel unhappy with your meals and will leave following the diet. For example, if you do not enjoy eating avocados, you need not eat them. Instead, you may eat strawberries, apples and bananas that are equally good for diabetes. However, ensure that you do not overindulge in anything that’s unhealthy for you, and always consult your dietician or doctor for dietary suggestions.

Blend Efforts With An Effortless Activity:

All the activities that feel exhausting to you and make you feel low need to be mixed with something you enjoy. For example, if you feel low with the thought of visiting the doctor, take yourself on a shopping spree afterwards. If you are having trouble getting up to exercise every day, play yourself some music or a comedy show while you exercise. It will help you take your mind off the things that make you feel low, tired or nervous, while also cheering you up.

Put Your Goals On A Wall:

The best way to stay motivated is to remind yourself of your goal. You must write your goal upon a piece of paper and stick it to your wall, so that every day when you get up, it is the first thing you see. It may be a bigger goal such as getting to a normal blood sugar level or a smaller one such as an hour of yoga. However, it is always better to break down your goals into smaller steps. It helps you stay focused.

Make A Success Journal:

At times, you might feel that your efforts are going to waste or you are not doing enough. It can make you feel extremely low. In this case, a success journal comes in very handy. From the day you start your diabetes care, mention all the goals you have achieved in your journal.

For example:

Day 1: 15 minutes walk- Achieved

Day 20: 1 Hour of Yoga- Achieved

Whenever you feel low, take a look at your success journal to see the marvellous journey you have made so far.

Keeping rewards for smaller achievements help you paint the bigger picture. Rewards help you stay motivated and also feel confident and proud of your achievements. You may keep any reward, monetary or non-monetary. For example, if you exercise today, reward yourself with a relaxing bath or if you go to an hour of yoga every day for a week, buy yourself your favourite sport shoes.

Take A Lapse If Needed:

Sometimes, after a long span of managing diabetes, it is okay to take a short break and not exercise for 2-3 days. Listen to your mind and body and if they need some time to get back their motivation, give them that time. However, you must understand the difference between lapse and relapse. You cannot let it become a habit. A lapse is just a temporary break and you must treat it like that.

Find A Support Group:

When the process starts feeling too draining and you feel like quitting diabetes management, join a support group. There are many groups everywhere, both online and offline that connect people with diabetes to each other. When you find more people who are fighting this disease, you feel encouraged to keep going. Support groups help you feel less lonely and more motivated.

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A Guide To Keeping Blood Sugar Levels in Control While Exercising

One of the most important components of diabetes management is exercising. It helps to increase insulin sensitivity in the body and thereby aids in controlling blood sugar levels. There are many people who manage diabetes with only mild medications because of their diet and exercise. However, in certain cases, exercising can also be proven harmful to health. Nevertheless, the importance of exercise in diabetes can never be undermined.

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How Much Does Blood Sugar Drop After Exercises?

The drop in blood sugar levels will depend on a lot of factors such as the duration of the workout, the intensity of the exercises, etc. However, usually, a moderate exercise routine can lower your blood sugar levels for up to 24 hours. During this period, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin and your blood sugar levels are controlled efficiently. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise every day if you have diabetes.

Hypoglycemia And Exercise

Although exercises are highly effective in managing diabetes, yet in many cases, exercising may lead to extremely low blood sugar levels, causing severe health problems. This condition of low blood sugar levels is called hypoglycemia. People who take insulin or oral medications for diabetes are more prone to getting hypoglycemia during the workout.

Since exercising is extremely important for managing diabetes, preventing hypoglycemia becomes necessary. Although there are some tested ways to prevent hypoglycemia during diabetes, it is always advised to connect with your doctor first.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar Levels During Exercise?

Generally, the signs of low blood sugar levels are the same as those of a good workout such as heavy sweating, accelerated heartbeat, feeling exhausted and hungry, etc. Therefore, it is easy to miss them out. However, many times unusual symptoms are also seen during hypoglycemia such as blurry or impaired vision, lack of coordination while exercising, feeling confused and delirious, etc. If you experience any such symptoms during your workout, immediately check your blood sugar levels.

How To Control Blood Sugar Levels During Exercise: The 15-15 Rule

The most important step in this rule is to check your blood sugar level before, after and during your exercises.

Before Exercising

Check your blood sugar level just before exercising. If it is between 100 mg/dl and 250 mg/dl, it is considered fine for exercising. However, if it is lower than 100 mg/dl, you need to eat a snack to raise your blood sugar levels. It is generally recommended to take 15-20 grams of carbohydrate if your blood sugar levels are below 100 mg/dl. You may take it in the form of juice, honey, glucose tablets, etc.

You need to keep checking your blood sugar levels every 15 minutes and in case it has not reached 100 mg/dl, you need to take 15 grams of carbohydrate every time till it reaches the minimum required level.

However, in case your blood sugar levels are above 250 mg/dl, you need to get checked for ketones. In this condition, your body starts burning fat instead of sugar for energy, resulting in the production of blood acid called ketones. Exercising in this condition can lead to ketoacidosis, which might even cause death.

During Exercises

Keep checking your blood sugar levels during exercising, especially if you already had low levels of blood sugar before the workout. If your blood sugar level is lower than 100 mg/dl, you should take 15 grams of carbohydrates.

You must check your blood sugar level again after 15 minutes and if it is still below 100 mg/dl, you should take another serving of 15 grams of carbohydrates. This 15-15 rule needs to be repeated till your blood sugar levels reach 100 mg/dl. Only then you should continue with your exercises.

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After Exercises

Blood sugar levels drop after exercises. Therefore, you must check it after your workout. If it is below 100 mg/dl, you need to follow the 15-15 rule, to ensure you do not get hypoglycemia.

What Are Some Emergency Backups To Treat Lows?

While exercising, always keep a glucose tablet or an energy snack nearby. You may also keep juice or any other food rich in carbohydrates that can give you instant energy and raise your blood sugar levels immediately.

What Are The Other Ways To Prevent Lows?

Don’t overexert yourself while working out

Finish your workout at least 2 hours before sleeping

Exercise only after you have checked your blood sugar levels

Drink plenty of water while exercising

Avoid taking insulin shots in the body parts you use heavily during exercises, such as your thighs. Otherwise, the insulin will get absorbed quickly, resulting in hypoglycemia

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