# Insulin Pumps & Exercise



## DiaWolf (Jul 22, 2021)

A quick question from an insulin pen user to pump users.

Whilst exercising do you keep your pumps on or take it off, complete your exercise and then re-apply?

What are the benefits or issues of keeping them on or off?

Pardon my ignorance, i'm just trying to gain a better understanding of what options type ones have.

Many thanks


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## helli (Jul 22, 2021)

I have a patch pump. I can't take it off. 
But, if I am doing cardio exercise which I know will lower my blood sugars, I lower my basal for an hour (depending on how long I will be exercising) before I start. 

I used to have a tubey pump. 
I kept it on but, being of a slim build, it often got in the way, especially when I was doing weights and resistance training. Unfortunately, such training would raise my levels so I needed to wear the pump for the basal. I would move it around depending upon which part of my body I was exercising. 

However, regardless of which type of pump, the advantages of having a pump and being able to adjust my basal for exercise is fantastic. I reduce or suspend it when doing cardio and increase it when doing resistance and HIIT - my climbing improved significantly: when on injections, I had to stop climbing because I ran out of energy as my levels rose too high. With a pump, I just increased my basal and carried on.


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## DiaWolf (Jul 22, 2021)

helli said:


> I have a patch pump. I can't take it off.
> But, if I am doing cardio exercise which I know will lower my blood sugars, I lower my basal for an hour (depending on how long I will be exercising) before I start.
> 
> I used to have a tubey pump.
> ...


Thanks Helli,

Thats good to know! So pumps are handy with the clips as you can move them along your waistline. 

Pulling the pump out or knocking it off the clip onto the floor was my worry when given the choice but the more i read the more people seem to prefer the pumps!


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## Inka (Jul 22, 2021)

I have a tubed pump. For most exercise I keep it on eg hiking. I wear it in a Hid-in belt round my waist normally. It’s so soft and comfortable I forget it’s there and sometimes panic and pat my waist to check it’s there  

For something where it might get bashed or I might fall over, I simply disconnect it at the cannula site. This takes literally less than one second. It also takes the same time to reconnect - basically instant


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 30, 2021)

In the gym i initially took mine off, but then my pump doubled as my CGM so i kept it on, but turned down my basal to next to nothing.

When distance running outside I just kept wearing it turned down low.

Went kayaking recently, and put it in a waterproof bag thing called ‘aquapac’ (though my current pump is nominally waterproof).


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