# Exercise



## Jane Sowerby (Apr 14, 2017)

i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.


----------



## Dollypolly (Apr 14, 2017)

I'm not type 1 but 2 and I would err on the side of caution for exercise for hypos but only in the beginning so you get used to it all. 
Will you have a trainer? Will it be strenuous or light? 

My exercise is walking and the odd swimming session. If I exercise to much I spike would you believe bummer so I watch what I do. 
No sprinting for me


----------



## Martin Canty (Apr 14, 2017)

Outside of the usual stuff like walking the dogs my "Structured" exercise is Yoga, took this up about 3 months ago as something for general wellbeing & an activity to do with my Wife.... The benefits have been quite marked with a general increase in flexibility, strength, poise & relaxation. Other side affects have been related to a pinched nerve in the L4-L5 area causing foot drop, I now have much better mobility & stability in my left foot & ankle.


----------



## Copepod (Apr 14, 2017)

In case you don't already know about these websites, I'll mention: www.runsweet.com and www.teambloodglucose.com Both have lots of information about exercise and sport with type 1 diabetes.


----------



## Ditto (Apr 14, 2017)

Dunno, I believe I've to walk 10,000 steps a day. Pipedreams!  Most I've ever managed is 6 miles.


----------



## Martin Canty (Apr 14, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Most I've ever managed is 6 miles


Reminds me of when we were in NZ last year, misread a sign at a trailhead to a waterfall, though it read 3km & it was actually 5km (each way) Wife was really upset with me as her plantar fasciitis was  playing up big time


----------



## Bubbsie (Apr 14, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Dunno, I believe I've to walk 10,000 steps a day. Pipedreams!  Most I've ever managed is 6 miles.


Ditto...6 miles is more than 10.000 steps...roughly 2000 steps per mile...so approximately 12000 steps...that's a great achievement!


----------



## Ditto (Apr 14, 2017)

Really? Excellent.


----------



## Bubbsie (Apr 14, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Really? Excellent.


Of course it depends on your size...the length of your stride...whether you have long legs...but...approximately...2000 steps per mile ...my maximum so far is about 9000...only 6000 today...knackered


----------



## Martin Canty (Apr 14, 2017)

The day in question (from NZ) I managed 25K though the last few steps were me walking around the hotel Parking Lot to try & get them in..... Have had a few 20K days


----------



## Pigeon (Apr 14, 2017)

Good for you going to the gym! Trial and error is kind of what it takes really, start off being cautious and keep a diary of what you do, what you eat and what insulin you had taken. I find I need to reduce my quick acting insuling before I exercise, sometimes by as much as 50%. I I haven't got any novorapid still in my system then the BG can tend to go up with intense exercise like running, so I actually take 1.5 u Novorapid 30 mins before running, this was built up over several years experience though, and it still seems counter intuitive and a bit scary, but if I don't take it I end up with BG of 18! Keep some pop with you in case of hypos, and test before and after and make a note so you can try to improve next time. Best of luck!


----------



## happydog (Apr 16, 2017)

I'm a type 2 and tried the gym with a trainer.  Have to admit that I am not a fan of sport or lots of exercise and it was my first time at the gym.  He was a very keen young man and after an hour and twenty minutes workout I staggered back home.  BG was through the roof and the next day I was so stiff and sore.  To my shame I never went back .  The lesson to learn is to start slowly and don't let them push you too far.  Now I exercise by walking each day and going to a pilates class once a week.  I have also just acquired an exercise bike and am looking forward to trying it out.  Good luck with it and I hope that you enjoy your time at the gym and that it helps you.   Big pat on the back for you Ditto, well done!


----------



## Jane Sowerby (Apr 17, 2017)

Pigeon said:


> Good for you going to the gym! Trial and error is kind of what it takes really, start off being cautious and keep a diary of what you do, what you eat and what insulin you had taken. I find I need to reduce my quick acting insuling before I exercise, sometimes by as much as 50%. I I haven't got any novorapid still in my system then the BG can tend to go up with intense exercise like running, so I actually take 1.5 u Novorapid 30 mins before running, this was built up over several years experience though, and it still seems counter intuitive and a bit scary, but if I don't take it I end up with BG of 18! Keep some pop with you in case of hypos, and test before and after and make a note so you can try to improve next time. Best of luck!


Thanks, this is very useful.


----------



## Jane Sowerby (Apr 17, 2017)

happydog said:


> I'm a type 2 and tried the gym with a trainer.  Have to admit that I am not a fan of sport or lots of exercise and it was my first time at the gym.  He was a very keen young man and after an hour and twenty minutes workout I staggered back home.  BG was through the roof and the next day I was so stiff and sore.  To my shame I never went back .  The lesson to learn is to start slowly and don't let them push you too far.  Now I exercise by walking each day and going to a pilates class once a week.  I have also just acquired an exercise bike and am looking forward to trying it out.  Good luck with it and I hope that you enjoy your time at the gym and that it helps you.   Big pat on the back for you Ditto, well done!


It sounds like you had a very bad PT, that is a long time to exercise. I am definitely going to start slowly.


----------



## Pumper_Sue (Apr 17, 2017)

Jane Sowerby said:


> i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
> type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.


My gym is the local forestry where my dog insists on an hours walk each morning


----------



## Northerner (Apr 18, 2017)

Jane Sowerby said:


> i am about to start exercising again in the gym and I would love to hear about anyone's experience. I have done a lot of reading but I am a big believer in listening to other people's stories.
> type 1 Insulin dependant, Lantus and Humalog.


Good luck Jane, I hope you enjoy it  As others have said, take it very gently at first, and test regularly - make sure you have some jelly babies to hand (or whatever you use to treat lows with!). Record everything and pretty soon you'll get a feel for how your body reacts and be able to start adjusting your regime accordingly e.g. reducing pre- and post-exercise insulin. Most people find that extra exercise makes them more sensitive to insulin for up to 24-40 hours afterwards, so you may have to adjust your long-acting insulin as well 

Also, different forms of exercises can have different effects - for example, my levels stay fairly steady when doing running/aerobic exercise, but levels can fall quickly when doing strength type exercises. It can be a very individual thing how you react, so the key is to be cautious and learn gradually from experience 

When I was first diagnosed I wanted to get back into my running quickly, and found The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook very useful 

Let us know how you get on!


----------



## Chris Hobson (Apr 20, 2017)

Starting slowly and not overdoing it at first is really important. I had been very fit but had lapsed somewhat. I was diagnosed as type 1 in 2013 but later re-assessed and re-diagnosed as type 2. I started slowly but have now turned into a bit of an exercise junkie. This is partly down to the fact that the fitter I become the less of an issue diabetes seems to be. I can't really comment on balancing insulin as even when I was using it I didn't have many problems, probably due to my actually being type 2. My post about how I got myself fit again is called 'Tiny Steps' and can be found here:

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/tiny-steps.63909/


----------

