So you wanna get hench, do ya?
If you’re anything like me, when you got diagnosed with diabetes you were a skinny little runt without the strength to put your own clothes on, let alone find any you looked good in.
It makes sense that you want to put that right.
Here’s all you need to know before you lift your first weight.
Can diabetics go to the gym?
First of all, let’s answer this behemoth of a question. Its a question I’m often asked by family who haven’t seen me in a while, when they remark on my bulging biceps. (For reference, I was massively underweight when lots of them last saw me. A small pimple counts as bulging.)
“I didn’t know you could go to the gym,” they say. “Is that not bad for your diabetes?”
Pah! Going to the gym is excellent for your diabetes. You just gotta be smart with it.
Check out our excellent (if I do say so myself) guide for working out without passing out. It’ll save you a tonne of hassle. So, now you know you can, why the hell would you want to?
Working out will improve your diabetic health
This was the main reason for me. There was a definite point when I was sitting in a hospital bed for the third time in two weeks thinking, “I really need to stop this.” My health had got to such a point that I was in A&E more often than I was out of it. My actual logic was along the lines of - If I’m going to fall over, I’d like some more padding to make it hurt less. But five years later I haven’t fallen over once, and while a lot of this is down to better blood sugar control, a good chunk is down to fitness.
Well, sort of.
The more you care about your fitness, the more you care about what you eat. The more you understand food, the more you understand what it does to your blood sugar.
Alright, basically it’s all down to better blood sugar control. But you get that from being fit, which you get from better blood sugar control. Alright?
Diabetics can do any kind of exercise
Whether you want to get big and bulky, lean and ripped, run a 10k or anything else, diabetes isn’t going to hold you back. You just need to know what different kinds of exercise will do to your blood sugar.
Lifting weights, for example, isn’t going to burn through your sugar supplies as quickly as cardio. Things like football, which require regular bursts of cardio over a long period of time, could see your blood sugar plummet if you’re not careful.
But if you are careful, you can do whatever you like. Lift, push, climb, fight, kick, swim, dance. Anything that floats your athletic boat.
What should your blood sugar be before working out?
Working out with diabetes will have an impact on your blood sugar, one way or another. If your levels are too high before you start, working out might make them go even higher. If you start too low, you’ll end up on the floor.
If only it was as simple as that.
To get a better idea, you need to know which direction your blood sugar is going. Check them half an hour before doing any exercise, then again ten minutes before. See what the difference is. If they were at 10 in the first check and then down to 7 the second time, your levels are coming down. They might level off or they could continue to fall, so stay aware during your workout.
If your levels look like they’re going up, you might need to take some insulin. BUT BE WARNED! Insulin will work faster during a workout as blood is pumping around your body, so maybe take less than normal. I know, I know, it sounds confusing. Stick with us.
What to eat before working out with diabetes
You’ve seen those people. The big, musclebound people who are always cramming protein down their throats and growing biceps on top of their biceps. Well, you can be one of them! You just need to keep an eye on the kind of food your feasting on.
Eating anything with carbs in immediately before working out is likely to increase your blood sugar. This could have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for, making it feel harder to do your routine. You also run the risk of insulin working away while you’re busy working on dem gainz. You don’t want to pass out with a dumbbell above your head, trust me.
My advice would be to eat nothing in the hour before you work out, just to limit the risk. Insulin lasts for two hours in your body, so it could easily cause something to go wrong midway through your session..
Easy tips to working out with diabetes
Check your blood sugar before and after.
Don’t try and carry on if your sugar is feeling low. Go and check them, fix them, and wait for things to get back to normal.
Look out for high-carb protein shakes. Lots of shakes designed for bulking will be packed with sugar that you just don’t need.
Always keep some sugar to hand, just in case. See our suggestions for what to take with you.
Freestyle Libre wearer? Put a strap around your sensor to stop sweat getting to it. Sweat stops it being sticky and could see it come off.