Diet, medication, and exercise are the main ways to manage diabetes. If both meals and medications are properly organized, what about exercise?
“Exercise is beneficial for people with diabetes at almost any time, but it still depends on other health factors, and exercising at certain times of the day may be more beneficial for some patients,” says diabetes educator Claudia Scott.
Morning exercise
If there is a blood sugar spike early in the morning, then morning exercise may help increase sugar burning. “For any patient with a blood sugar reading of around 120 mg/dl or more, exercise first thing in the morning is the ideal protocol,” Scott said. But if your blood sugar is above 250 mg/dl, consult your doctor first.
Exercise after a meal
If blood glucose is normal (say, 100 to 110 mg/dl), exercise can promote the release of glucose from the liver for fuel.
Scott says, “This can keep blood sugar higher than the initial level.” In this case, it’s best to wait until the meal is finished before exercising. This burns the sugar consumed at mealtime, rather than releasing the body’s natural stores of sugar into the bloodstream.
Post-meal exercise not only helps process post-meal glucose, but also helps continue to regulate blood sugar for up to 24 hours.
Exercise before a meal
If it’s most comfortable to exercise before lunch or dinner, try that, too. Exercising before or after a meal can help reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness and satisfaction.
Even 6 minutes of vigorous exercise before a meal can help stabilize blood sugar throughout the day. In one trial, people with diabetes walked briskly uphill on a treadmill for 6 minutes a half hour before dinner, with short breaks every minute. The mini workout helped control blood sugar after dinner, and for some patients, the effect lasted even up to 24 hours.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is it safe for me to start exercising or to increase the amount of exercise I do each day?
- What time of day will I benefit more from exercise?
- What is the safe range for blood glucose when starting exercise?
- When should I not exercise?