# Intense short duration exercise or slow long duration plus morning or evening



## WalkdontRun (Dec 19, 2022)

Just diagnosed with T2. Always felt tired at and after exercise. More stamina than short high intensity exercise person but perhaps I was wrong (well the slow long dog walks didn't work!). Which should I try to get better at? Short duration "high" intensity exercise seems to offer a "quicker" way of burning sugar-fat faster but when you are not used to this pace, is it just a matter of starting very slow. I see many others who started running. I'm out of breath running up a few floors of stairs (and winter is daunting). 
As for exercise and when- did others see it better to do exercise in the morning or late in the evening. Late would allow your body to recover at sleep but then again most of us are tired by then anyway.. Did others do it after food intake or before and how did others fit or consider exercise in if they are on an initial ultra low calorie diet at the start and hoping to go into "remission" once they met their weight/blood test results. Were they even able to function while the body coped with a sugar-fat intake fast reduction.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 19, 2022)

Don't do running but enjoy long walks with dog, tend to walk at fast pace so feel like it's good enough.

Tbh don't have preference for what time to exercise, can be out first thing in morning up to 7pm, time doesn't really matter  as long as you exercise regularly, that's my opinion.


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## Chris Hobson (Dec 19, 2022)

I'm wondering if you could adapt the basic principle of pyramid sets from swimming to running. This involves doing different distances at different paces with a break between them. I do a one minute break, some younger swimmers do only 30 seconds. The distances for a typical pyramid are 100m / 200m / 400m / 800m / 400m / 200m / 100m.

The idea is to do the shortest one pretty much flat out and then lower the pace to accommodate the longer ones. My target times are 50 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes thirty seconds and ten minutes. As I've progressed I've started to find the shorter ones harder to hit but I'm smashing the longer ones. With running you could do the same distances or make them longer, making the breaks long enough for your breathing and heart rate to settle down to near normal.


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## helli (Dec 19, 2022)

Welcome @WalkdontRun
My very strong opinion is that the best type of exercise is the one that * YOU* have time for and enjoy. There is no right time of the day, right length of exercise, right type of exercise, right level of exercise more important than the one that you are most likely to continue.
Exercise can help us manage our blood sugars but it can do much much more.
Typically (but we are all different so this may vary), longer last exercise will drop our blood sugars and short sharp exercise may temporarily raise blood sugars.
But both will help in the longer term.

So, my advice is to don't over think it. As Nike used to say "Just Do It!"


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## travellor (Dec 19, 2022)

As @helli says, anything works.

Just do what you can, when you can.

I went to the gym initially, and the advice I was given was to mix it up there as well, short high intensity, then slower recovery, much as @Chris Hobson has said.


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## Leadinglights (Dec 19, 2022)

One thing I have seen is the importance of getting a good nights sleep which you may not be doing since you posted at 3.24 am.
This can be a bit of a chicken and egg situation as people are getting up for loo visits throughout the night as a result of high glucose but that is reduced once their blood glucose levels come down that helps with their sleep pattern.


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## Spathiphyllum (Dec 19, 2022)

As others have said: the most important thing with exercise is finding what works for you, personally-- something you can actually stick to. Although it will always require some motivation, each time, to get over the hump of actually doing it! But try different forms of exercise, at different times of day, and see what, for you personally, has the smallest hump. ; )

Also: Remember that 'moderate intensity' or 'high intensity' means what the exercise is doing to your heart rate. Moderate intensity for Usain Bolt would be ultra-high intensity for most of us!

The best thing to do is get a heart-rate monitor. Over a year before I was diagnosed (with Type 1), I decided to take up jogging, using the NHS 'Couch to 5k' app (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/running-and-aerobic-exercises/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/ ). 'Couch to 5k' works on the same sort of principle as Chris describes. You start off doing only tiny bits of jogging-- at first only 60 seconds at a time!-- interspersed with walking, and the bits of jogging gradually get longer.

I've always enjoyed long walks, and have always been a fast walker-- but moving from that to even very short and very slow jogs was surprisingly tough! In the first month or so, I was worried that maybe I was just a wimp, maybe I wasn't pushing myself hard enough-- or maybe I was pushing myself too hard-- I just didn't know. Two of my friends had Fitbits and advised me to get one; I did, and it has been very helpful.

Other heart-rate monitors are available! The point is-- it will tell you when your heart rate is below even the moderate-intensity zone, when it's in the moderate-intensity zone, and when it's in the high-intensity zone. (Fitbit divides the high intensity zone into two levels, 'cardio' and 'peak'.) Of course, as you get more fit, your heart will not have to beat so fast at the same level of exercise.

It may be that your dog walks have not even been getting your heart rate into the moderate-intensity zone. If this is the case, increasing your pace a little might yield a lot of benefit.

I hope this helps! And hope you have fun trying different sorts of exercise at different times of day.


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## WalkdontRun (Dec 21, 2022)

Thanks to all. Do you all tend to eat after any exercise of before (assuming not the biggest meal). Thanks for the tips on exercise and go for something you like. I'll try the swimming and running once I can get at least a 30min fast walk without feeling totally out of breath. Apart from the fitness benefit to anyone, did they notice it changing their weight management ie burn off a higher cal food intake or speed up any planned weight loss or just allow them less pressure on their calorie management. At some stage, I would like to drink the odd beer and even accept the odd desert request when out.


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## WalkdontRun (Dec 21, 2022)

As for sleep, I still enjoy the 8hrs where I can and hopefully the fitness change will refocus that.


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## Benny G (Dec 21, 2022)

OP:

Just diagnosed with T2. Always felt tired at and after exercise. More stamina than short high intensity exercise person but perhaps I was wrong (well the slow long dog walks didn't work!). Which should I try to get better at? Short duration "high" intensity exercise seems to offer a "quicker" way of burning sugar-fat faster but when you are not used to this pace, is it just a matter of starting very slow. I see many others who started running. I'm out of breath running up a few floors of stairs (and winter is daunting).
As for exercise and when- did others see it better to do exercise in the morning or late in the evening. Late would allow your body to recover at sleep but then again most of us are tired by then anyway.. Did others do it after food intake or before and how did others fit or consider exercise in if they are on an initial ultra low calorie diet at the start and hoping to go into "remission" once they met their weight/blood test results. Were they even able to function while the body coped with a sugar-fat intake fast reduction.


ChatGTP:

It's great that you are considering starting an exercise program to manage your type 2 diabetes. Exercise can help improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of complications associated with diabetes.
As for the type of exercise that is best for you, it's important to find an activity that you enjoy and that you can stick with long-term. Some people find that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a good fit for their lifestyle, while others prefer low-intensity steady-state (LISS) exercise. Both types of exercise can be effective for managing diabetes, so it's a matter of personal preference and what works best for you.
If you are new to exercise, it's important to start slowly and gradually increase your intensity and duration over time. It's also a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or a certified diabetes educator, before starting an exercise program. They can help you develop a safe and effective exercise plan that is tailored to your individual needs.
As for the timing of your exercise, it's generally recommended to do it at a time of day when you feel most energized and able to be consistent. Some people find that exercising in the morning helps them start their day off on the right foot, while others prefer to exercise later in the day when they have more energy. It's a matter of personal preference and what works best for you.
If you are on an ultra low calorie diet, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting an exercise program. They can help you determine the appropriate amount and type of exercise that is safe and effective for you while you are restricting your calorie intake.


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## Drummer (Dec 21, 2022)

@WalkdontRun you might find that in the weeks after diagnosis you are still going to feel the effects of high insulin output, which is common for many type 2s. I certainly used to feel it and had several 'false hypos' in the early days, when my insulin started to take effect rather rapidly.
I was diagnosed in late November 5 years ago, and at once went low carb, and that sorted out the diabetes, by the following spring I was feeling a lot more energetic than when eating the high carb low fat foods on the GP's diet sheet. I have lost quite a bit of weight and also changed shape. I did not alter my eating habits all that much, just got rid of the carbs and upped the protein and fats a little to compensate, though I never really ate all that much, never have.
I took the easy option of restricting carbs and have stayed eating that way even though I am back in normal numbers now, as I have always had problems eating carbs. It was just a pity that my GP ignored all my protests until I was just about spherical. My waist is over a foot smaller now.
With no need to restrict calories I find life pretty stress free.
I eat at 12 hourly intervals, so there is no problem going out for the day.


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## Spathiphyllum (Dec 21, 2022)

WalkdontRun said:


> Thanks to all. Do you all tend to eat after any exercise of before (assuming not the biggest meal). Thanks for the tips on exercise and go for something you like. I'll try the swimming and running once I can get at least a 30min fast walk without feeling totally out of breath. Apart from the fitness benefit to anyone, did they notice it changing their weight management ie burn off a higher cal food intake or speed up any planned weight loss or just allow them less pressure on their calorie management. At some stage, I would like to drink the odd beer and even accept the odd desert request when out.


Firstly, as Benny G says, of course it's sensible to talk to your diabetes doctor or nurse and get their views, especially if you're on an ultra low calorie diet.

Unless they say otherwise, though: Keeping in mind what it is that you need to do-- lose fat, particularly visceral fat-- the best thing for you would probably be exercise immediately before a meal and then, if you're not on meal replacements, have a meal high in protein but low in calories.

This would have four benefits. Firstly, it would be an extra incentive to exercise-- the meal would be your reward for exercise! Conversely, it would prevent you from snacking after exercise.

Also, exercising on an empty stomach would encourage your body to burn fat to fuel your exercise. And-- the time that your body is most effective at turning dietary protein into muscle is within an hour of exercise.

This would give you the best chance of changing your body composition-- losing fat and gaining muscle instead. Losing visceral fat reduces insulin resistance, and gaining muscle increases insulin sensitivity.

Regarding what time of day: there was a study earlier this year that got a lot of media coverage, for example https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61636805 . Only a small study, but it suggested that, for men wanting to lose body fat to improve their metabolic health (i.e. to tackle Type 2 or the risk of Type 2), the best time to exercise may be in the evening, whereas for women the morning may be best.

Nonetheless, as the lead researcher for this study emphasised: "The best time for exercise is the best time you can do it and fit it into your schedule"! Just keep telling yourself that, if you keep at it and lose that excess visceral fat, you will in future be able "to drink the odd beer and even accept the odd dessert request" without doing any harm to your health.

Finally, the psychology is crucial. Keep telling yourself what is after all true: The more you exercise, the more you will enjoy it. You may still find it tiring, but tiring in a good way-- you will feel uplifted and proud of yourself-- or you may even stop finding it tiring and start finding it energising. And it's not only about physical fitness; if you stick with it, exercise will make you feel happier. Visualise yourself doing the exercise you've decided on and doing it vigorously and gracefully and enjoying it-- and that is what will happen.


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## travellor (Dec 21, 2022)

I did find if I planned to eat afterwards, it works better as I didn't feel as hungry, so ate less.
But eat whenever you can fit it in with exercise.  

Top tip though.

Don't have a Thai green fish curry before Aqua aerobics.


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## WalkdontRun (Dec 28, 2022)

Many thanks for this. Did anyone try cycling to achieve the fitness regime they needed to start. I have not cycled for ages (and again winter does not help) . I am not planning to replicate the lycra wearing uphill mountain cyclists but it is lower impact exercise. I have never run but I see lots who have started.


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## helli (Dec 28, 2022)

I cycle quite a bit. Again not the Lycra wearing road hog. My cycling is at a spin class or on a bike trainer with Zwift.
I tried running but I am not a fan or a natural.


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