# Exercise newbie!!



## Viki (Jun 18, 2009)

Hi All,

Ive recently tried to get some excercise into my life for several reasons, mainly to try and get my cholesterol levels down, but also to lose a few pounds!

Its going well and im feeling better for it but im waking up hypo and could do with some advice on what a good starting point for adjustments would be.

Im trying to stick to:

Cycling 1 hour through woods - trying to push enough that i feel out of breathe and my muscles feel like theyve done some work!! (some killer hils in my locals woods have tested my resolve!)
Every day except tues and thursday when i walk instead for about 45 mins instead.

I test before and after and drop by about 1-2 so always make sure my starting point is enough that this drop is taken into account.

But there seems to be this 10-12 hour delay then im well and truly scuppered with readings of 2.7 ish.

Im on a pump so can do some fine tuning, but exercise is an alien concept to me and i have no idea where to start!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

PS. dont think ill ever get to the point where i could run for 3 minutes let alone 3 miles!!!


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## Steff (Jun 18, 2009)

hi there viki , on the exercise front i try as often as i can to go swimming and also go on bike rides with my son , it is also a good idea if you have a wii ftness board i find those things are really good, i think the main thing with exercise is we are all at diffirent levels some of us can do a 3 mile run some can only crawl it lol, it''s upto the individual how they exercise but just be careful and dont go over the top i went into exercise with blinkers on and went into a full routine i was totally ill and i made sure that after that incident i took it nice and steady, i find that these gym balls are really great and fun my son even joins is and has a ball, none of that actually probs helps you but hay im like yourself i was totaly alien to exercise only exercise i ever did was from the living room to the fridge


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## Northerner (Jun 18, 2009)

Viki, well done! The big thing (as you have found!) is insulin sensitivity. You will be far more sensitive to insulin for many hours after your exercise - with me it can be up to 40 hours! Also, after exercise your liver will try an 'recover' the energy it has put out so will 'drain' this from you blood for some time after. It really can make a huge difference, so you need to either reduce insulin intake or increase carbs either before, during or after exercise. Exactly when and how much is something you can only work out with trial and error. There are some books that will give you guidelines (The diabetic Athlete, Think like a Pancreas) but they are only crude approximations.

Measurements before and after are essential (maybe even during!), plus how long since you ate etc. so you can establish patterns - then things start to get a bit simpler!


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## Steff (Jun 18, 2009)

sorry if i butted in i always feel stupid replying to a type 1 question as i know nowt about it


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## Northerner (Jun 18, 2009)

steff09 said:


> sorry if i butted in i always feel stupid replying to a type 1 question as i know nowt about it



Oh please don't feel that steff - I think you make so many great contributions to threads, and you have a different perspective so that makes the threads good reading for a wider variety of people - keep up the good work!


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## Steff (Jun 18, 2009)

Northerner said:


> Oh please don't feel that steff - I think you make so many great contributions to threads, and you have a different perspective so that makes the threads good reading for a wider variety of people - keep up the good work!



cheers northener i shall continue my butting


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## niamh (Jun 19, 2009)

Hi Viki,
i'm having this problem too. I'm trying to train to run a 10k in a few weeks and am running on a treadmill two evenings a week. I'm fine after my run but the next day I go low. my diabetes team have advised to reduce my insulin doses by 1 u the following day but I'm using basal bolus so i don't know how that applys to pumps. i have found a good website called runsweet.com which gives advice for lots of sports. It seems to be for more competitve athletes but there might be some useful information of it. Keep with it anyway- when i started running I struggled to run 3 km in 30 mins- i ran 9 in 50 the other day!


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## Viki (Jun 19, 2009)

Thank everyone.

I reduced my insulin by a bit last night but think i was to wrried about waking up high and so had another hypo this morning. On top of one last night (due to a calculatin error!) thats 4 in 3 days!

Today i officially feel like ive been hit by a bus! 

Tonight i think i will set my pump to reduce all basal rate by 10% through out the night and do the dreaded 3am test. 

Im determined not to let it ruin my motivation. Other than the hypos ive definately been feeling better for it and enjoying the time spent with the other half and the dog!

Its the 2nd anniversary of losing my dad next month and id quite like to have actually run a race for life in his memory before the third one comes round. Thats quite a goal for someone who cant run out of the driveway without being out of breath!


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## insulinaddict09 (Jun 19, 2009)

steff09 said:


> sorry if i butted in i always feel stupid replying to a type 1 question as i know nowt about it



Awww Steffi , you know alot more about Type 1's than you give yourself credit for , you put up with all us Type 1's moaning about injections , hypos etc , you know as much as me and im a Type 1 lol. Anyway you always have a good point and a different angle on the subject so keep butting in please


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## Copepod (Jun 19, 2009)

There's lots of information about sport and diabetes (mainly type 1) at www.runsweet.com There's a page specifically about insulin pumps at www.runsweet.com/insulinpumps.html


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## rossi_mac (Jun 21, 2009)

I'm trying to up my exercise too, and as Northerner said it's a bit of a game!

I'm about to (well I should have by now) start a form of diary about food/carbs, activities (as my work varys differently) exercise, and insulin amounts. 

Then I'm hoping I'll see a pattern! 

Here's hoping!

Good luck to you too.


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## Viki (Jun 21, 2009)

Good plan - I think i might have to do that too.

Just really trying not to let it put me off - i hate exercise at the best of times


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