# What do you take with you for exercise?



## DiaWolf (Dec 11, 2020)

Good afternoon,

I'm interested to hear what other diabetics take with them when they exercise and how they carry those items, i want to improve my own set up!

I am mainly a gym goer/road runner. I find that carrying a Libra scanner, sugars as well as phone, keys etc can be a pain. 
In the gym i tend to lock away my items which would then mean having to go back to my locker midpoint sometimes or if kept in pockets or a bag the movement with these extra items is annoying with everything moving around!

Whats your chosen exercise? What do you use to carry your things? Annoyances you have come across?


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## helli (Dec 11, 2020)

When I go to the gym, I carry my diabetes stuff (insulin, meter and glucotabs in a small bag which can go over my shoulder. It is big enough for my phone, hair ties, headphones, gym membership card and a credit card. I have been using one of these bags for years. I find they last a long time and suit my needs. They often have sales when I pick up my next one. 
I carry it from machine to machine and it gives me confidence n case I have a hypo. I have left it in the locker a couple of times and I have run back to test my blood sugars when I was unsure. 

I occasionally run and use the small camelback which I bought for cycling, This allows me to carry my diabetes stuff with me as well as the water I need. It is not perfect but I don't run that often and it is better for me than filling my pockets.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 11, 2020)

Pockets, exercise mainly involves walking so phone keys glucotabs, phone scans libre so no need for bg meter.


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## helli (Dec 11, 2020)

nonethewiser said:


> Pockets, exercise mainly involves walking so phone keys glucotabs, phone scans libre so no need for bg meter.


I find more vigorous exercise (running, gym) is a bit too bouncy to use my pockets as everything would rattle and hit my bony bits and my blood sugars can fall too fast for Libre to be of any use due to the delay so I need the meter.


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## rebrascora (Dec 11, 2020)

I carry everything (Libre reader, phone, BG meter, money keys credit cards, hypo treatment etc) everywhere with me in a little back pack handbag I got from Primark.... must get another one soon as I have had to repair this one once and would be lost without it. Prior to that I used a bum bag but it used to pull on my back a bit when I was running. The little rucksack bounces about unless I hook a thumb into the strap and as long as I have at least one thumb hooked into a strap it stops it jumping about and I just alternate sides. If I leave the house without it now I feel odd.... like if you forget to put your seatbelt on.... it just feels wrong until you realise that you haven't got it. It works well for horse riding too. I don't visit the gym but if I did, I would just carry it from station to station with me.


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## Robin (Dec 11, 2020)

I usually rely on pockets when I’m horse riding, but I also have a spibelt running belt (well, mines a cheap imitation not a branded one) for when I haven’t got enough pockets. I find it hugs the stuff close enough to your body that it doesn’t bounce around.


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## Bloden (Dec 11, 2020)

My default exercise is walking my dogs every morning. I put my essential kit in a very small rucksack that I bought in 2008 just after dx. It _was_ black with red n pink flowers all over but looks extremely weathered now - more like purply-brown with grayish-white flowers. Still does the job tho.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 11, 2020)

helli said:


> I find more vigorous exercise (running, gym) is a bit too bouncy to use my pockets as everything would rattle and hit my bony bits and my blood sugars can fall too fast for Libre to be of any use due to the delay so I need the meter.



Understand, don't do running gyms. Really long walks take meter along, just few ,miles libre serves purpose, find trend arrow on libre gives indication which way bg is heading, occasionally will grab something from greggs local shop if need be to hold hypo off.


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## grainger (Dec 11, 2020)

Gym  classes I take a carton of orange juice and my phone. I’m on dexcom now so no need to scan etc.

running I usually take 4/5glucotabs which I put in my phone holder along with my phone. Strap to my arm and away I go.

tennis I have hypo treatments in my tennis bag by the side of the court.


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## cameron (Dec 13, 2020)

When running I only take dextrose tablets with me, nothing else. I never really run for longer than an hour, and my running patterns are predictable. Testing before and after works for me.

Otherwise, I do a lot of walking and carry all my supplies with me in a rucksack.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 4, 2021)

Mini bags of Skittles (18g CHO per bag and pocket-proof), my phone doubles as sensor reader and run tracker. I have a little running belt that will hold phone and a water bottle. Keys and 2 bags of skittles in shorts pockets.


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## Stavross (Mar 4, 2021)

When I go on my bike I'll have three dark chocolate digestive biscuits. I'll have lucozade and gluco tabs in my bag. Mobile to do the scanning and provide the music for the miles of happy peddling.


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## grainger (Mar 5, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Mini bags of Skittles (18g CHO per bag and pocket-proof), my phone doubles as sensor reader and run tracker. I have a little running belt that will hold phone and a water bottle. Keys and 2 bags of skittles in shorts pockets.


I love skittles but discovered I can’t use them as hypo treatment as I end up eating the whole bag everytime


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## helli (Mar 5, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Mini bags of Skittles (18g CHO per bag and pocket-proof), my phone doubles as sensor reader and run tracker. I have a little running belt that will hold phone and a water bottle. Keys and 2 bags of skittles in shorts pockets.


I recently learnt that Skittles were originally only available during the war to American troops. They were given them because they didn't melt and were ... pocket-proof.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 5, 2021)

grainger said:


> I love skittles but discovered I can’t use them as hypo treatment as I end up eating the whole bag everytime



With the mini bags you can!


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## DiaWolf (Mar 5, 2021)

Nice! I'm a tactical Maoam man myself when at work!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 5, 2021)

Jelly Babies are my current go-to, but I suspect that will change when I shed the winter jackets with big pockets, since my exercise is mostly dog walking these days


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## Slugsie (Mar 6, 2021)

I'm worried about getting back into basketball, at the moment I seem to go into hypo just by walking. I do occasionally miss lunch and I think that's a factor but at the same time I can have a load of carbs then when I go hill climbing I drop. 
I've found orange juice cartons and flapjacks to be good combos, I was told by the diabetes nurse that lucozade isn't as good as a juice box.


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## Spozkins (Mar 16, 2021)

I have a quite large pocket in my leggings so out dextrose tabs in there. Usually using my phone for music and can scan with this. Generally not worrying about needing insulin when I work out so would be happy to go back to the locker in that instance. 

How do others manage figuring out there workout routine when they havent done so in a while? Take a snack before working out or taking a bit less insulin prior?


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## Lisa66 (Mar 18, 2021)

Like all things, I find it a bit trial and error. Generally speaking for  a 50 min power walk round the village, which I do most days at the moment, I take my phone as Libre scanner and half a packet of pastilles in a pocket. A longer amble in forest or at beach I have a small back pack with water, maybe a banana / cereal bars / dried apricots...always have pastilles in a pocket.

General gym type exercise I use pastilles. When I used to run on treadmill a few years ago , I noticed my sugars shooting up...which I didn’t understand at the time and found incredibly frustrating. Mentioned this to DSN who was also puzzled and then came back with advice to have a couple of pastilles at the start of the run, to head off liver panic. This did work...for me.

@Spozkins I find the less insulin / extra snack thing an ever ongoing experiment. I know that all things being equal my village walk lowers bs by about 3. At the moment I’ve got into the habit of walking after breakfast, so you'd think I’d knock a unit off breakfast insulin, but then sometimes I get delayed, or something changes and I don’t go until later. So depending on what Libre says before I go I tend to have 10g carbs...this usually works. But as with everything there can still be surprises,....all part of the fun and games. Libre makes things so much easier. Weather warming up soon, that’ll  will add to the fun.


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