Diabetes Tips for Active Days

The Fresno JDRF walkis this Saturday, March 29th. Fresno has done a great job raising money to help fund research for finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. The walk day will be an active one and we want you to do your best. Here are some tips for managing your diabetes on more active days.

Know how the activity is going to affect your blood sugars. A low impact activity such as, a slow steady pass walk, jog, or swim tends to bring your numbers down. While a higher impact activity such as weight lifting or sprints tend to raise your numbers. Knowing how active you will be will help determine your plan to keep your numbers in line. For the JDRF walk try lowering your basal intake an hour or two before the walk until an hour or two after.

Remember to check your sugars before, during, and after your exercise. Checking before lets you know if you need to adjust your insulin more to bring your numbers down or if you need to eat a small something to prevent going low during your activity. Checking during an activity helps you to see if you need to make more adjustments or if the adjustments you made previously to your activity are working. I always check my numbers right after a workout and then once more about 30 minutes after. Sometimes my numbers will be perfect after my workout and then spike 30 minutes to an hour later.

Have an emergency low kit with you. I usually will wear a fanny pack (I know super cool…jk) or my pump waist belt and throw in some jellybeans to treat a low. These are a lot easier for me to manage during a run. I can just grab a couple and pop them into my mouth while still being active. You can also always carry glucose tablets, a juice box, or other candies of your choice (avoid chocolate the fat in chocolate makes it take longer to digest).

My favorite part of the walk is seeing everyone there who has diabetes or knows someone with diabetes. It helps you to see that you are not alone in this, and there is no better feeling in the world. Be sure to sit down and make a plan for how to manage your blood sugars during the walk and make it a happy and healthy day.

For more information on how to manage your diabetes while exercising visit the JDRF website.