fractures; your physician may recommend that you switch to swimming or cycling. If you have unusual symptoms when you exercise, such as severe shortness of breath or chest pain, further testing might be needed to make sure it’s safe to work out. Your doctor may recommend swimming, bike riding, or short walks instead.
Remember: Exercise is powerful therapy, so powerful that you shouldn’t try it without a little professional guidance. (After all, you’d never start taking extra-strong diabetes pills without your doctor’s okay.) Your doctor can help you fit exercise into your overall health plan.
You may need to adjust your medications, carry snacks or drinks, or tweak your diet to help prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This can happen to people with type 2 diabetes, but it’s much more common for people with type 1. If you have this type of diabetes, you’ll have to work especially closely with your doctor to find the right balance of exercise, diet, and medications.
No matter how careful they are, people with type 1 diabetes should expect a few setbacks. Their sugar levels might crash unexpectedly, briefly putting them back on the sidelines. “With all of my book smarts and experience, sometimes things don’t work out as they should,” Wright says. “But tomorrow is a clean slate.” Any diabetic who exercises should carry glucose tablets or some equivalent, such as Lifesavers, in case sugar level drops unexpectedly.
If you’re having trouble controlling your blood sugar during exercise, your doctor may refer you to an exercise physiologist who is specially trained to treat diabetics.
What other precautions should I take?
Your doctor or exercise physiologist can give you safety tips for your particular workouts. Here are a few general guidelines:
Warm up with five to 10 minutes of gentle stretching and five to 10 minutes of light aerobic activity (such as walking or jogging in place).
Proper footwear is essential, especially if you have