There are many exercises that are very good for your body. But, Does Exercise Lower Blood Sugar? Yes, it does, but it doesn’t have to be anything that has to be overly strenuous, especially if you have back pain. Let’s look into exercise and it’s relation to helping your blood sugar levels.
What Can Exercise do for Your Blood Sugars?
I want to do everything I can to control my diabetes. It’s important to know all of my options because I do have them and that’s a good thing. I make sure that I choose the right foods to eat and that they help with controlling my blood sugar. I also don’t want extra belly fat.
It’s gotten to the point where it’s just not only about diabetes and sugar levels, high or low. It’s about health in general. Exercising always helps you stay healthier than not exercising.
When I was younger I was very active and I guess taking care of certain health issues was only minor and I didn’t worry, but not with diabetes. This is a battle I will win. It’s all about my attitude and understanding and my will to get healthier. Supplements help big time too!
Which Exercises Help Lower Blood Sugar?
So, it’s common sense that any form of exercise is good for you, right? Of course! Exercise in moderation will aid in raising your heartbeat and because of this your muscles use more glucose so there’s less in your bloodstream. End result? Lower blood sugar over a period of time of continuous daily exercise and relieve stress. You will help to start treating your type 2 diabetes now!
You don’t have to participate in any strenuous exercise program, at least not in the beginning. Once you get started and see results, you won’t want to quit! Quitting isn’t allowed. It’s you that matters so think of the end results. It’s a great feeling as you start to feel those results!
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List of Exercises to Help You:
- Walking
- Bike riding
- Joining a gym
- Dancing
- Yoga
- Treadmill
- Tennis
- Aerobics
- Swimming
- Sports
I chose the first three on my list to help control my blood sugars.
Watch the Video Below for More About Exercise and Diabetes
Walking
Walking does not require any hard effort. You walk to everywhere you have to be, right? You might like to buy a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. Set aside 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days. (I prefer 7 days). If I’m on the treadmill at the gym, I walk for 30 minutes with a 5 minute cool down period finishing up. It feels great afterward.
It’s more advantageous to walk on some sort of incline. Start out slow and you can work your way up as you improve each week. Walking is also beneficial for lowering your cholesterol and losing weight. It also aids in keeping your blood pressure down.
Consistency is the key here. Choose your time and try and stick to it. It’s best to exercise and walk after a meal, preferably after dinner. If just walking the neighborhood is boring, then find a nearby park or beach. If not, then a gym. Just enjoy the exercise so that you will keep up with it. Go walking with a partner, a friend, anyone who is interested and makes it easier for you.
Bicycle Riding
I love riding my bike. When I lived in New York, the only “safe” place to ride was in a park. It wasn’t was enjoyable riding the streets with all the traffic. I don’t have that problem in Florida. I could ride all day if it wasn’t for the seat. Don’t those bike seats just get to you after a while? I just bought a seat cushion to absorb the bumps and it’s so much easier now. Once you find the comfort that’s right for you, it’s a piece of cake!
And if the weather isn’t cooperating, I can just ride my foldable exercise bike indoors. This enjoyable exercise gets my heart pumping and is helping to lower my sugar. It’s a win/win situation! I love exercising on my indoor bike.
Gym
Not all gyms are alike and the one I belong to only costs $9.99 a month. You can’t beat that price for sure! Any kind of aerobics or weight training will help your body and your health. Let the trainers assist you. They’re always willing to help. I go to the gym every other day. It’s best to go after dinner time, but that’s also the time it’s a little more crowded.
But you can’t put a price on getting and staying healthy! Do NOT wait until New Year’s to make the gym “resolution” as most people do and then quit. Don’t join now unless YOU are ready to control diabetes! It’s now or never!
Exercises at Home
It’s raining out and you can’t go walking so you can’t exercise. Wrong! Nice try! You can walk up and down the stairs, do exercises from your TV fitness channel or you-tube, jumping jacks, or sit-ups. How about a dance video? If you love dancing you can dance and exercise to that.
There’s plenty of exercises that can help you lower blood sugar, indoors or outdoors. Just do it. You don’t have to go for an hour at a million miles an hour. Just get it into your mind that you are doing it for YOU!
Make a Plan and Stick to it
Get a water bottle and have it with you whenever you’re exercising. Make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes or sneakers. Don’t skimp on the cost. Your feet will thank you. Have a vision of what you want to see. It is easier to participate in something if you have a partner. Partner or not though, write down your plan. Then stick to it!
I’m sure you know someone who will walk with you. If not and you want to bring MUSIC along to kick it up a notch and give you the motivation and “company” you need, then do it! I always take my music and headphones. The fast paced uplifting music does absolute wonders! When I’m on the treadmill with my music at the gym, it’s powerful!
Fit it into Your Schedule at any Cost
You want to start out slow by having your plan and increasing your exercise a little at a time. Don’t set goals that you know are unreachable. Be realistic. Set your goal, change it as you improve. I’m sure that I never had enough time to exercise.
Until I accepted that I just HAD to make the time. Once I accomplished that, I saw how I had more than enough time to make exercise a necessary part of my healthy lifestyle because I also did not want to feel tired all the time.
But I don’t want to make sound that easy. Really, the hardest part was sitting down and writing down a time schedule. Ok sometimes, things don’t always go exactly as planned. But you what? That’s ok. Just get back on the wagon again.
One time is not a killer. I started at 15 minutes a day and I always fit it in. Then I adjusted to more time and more days each week. I still consider the healthy foods as my fuel.
The Bottom Line in Succeeding With Exercise
Accept exercise as a necessary part of life and make it a fun thing to do at the same time. For me, it’s music. It gives me a “high” feeling that I just can’t describe. It’s my exercise buddy. There are times if I am waiting somewhere for something, I find myself doing isometric exercises too. So does exercise lower blood sugar? Exercise is good for my mind as well. For me?
Walking is the best exercise to lower blood sugar. Maybe yours will be different. It doesn’t matter. Enjoy. Do it. Nothing like climbing that mountain to see the view once you get to the top!
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In Conclusion
Exercise is important and I’m sure that you know that. We weren’t meant to just sit around. To be healthy, you need 30 minutes a day 5 days a week minimum of exercise. Up and at em! You can do it!
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Thank you so much for writing this article. I have tried to exercise, but this knowledge is helpful. I didn’t know that when I exercise it is burning glucose so that less of it is in my blood stream. I believe knowledge like that helps a person exercise more, especially when that have a high blood sugar problem.
I make the excuse about not exercising all the time, but your in house suggestion was good for me because I do have stairs. I also have a big enough house to walk in, or I will just turn on the radio and dance. Thanks again for writing this article.
Yes Marjorie, I think we can all admit that exercise is good for us, indoor or outdoor. I think it helps to enjoy whatever exercise that you’re doing. It helps lowering your blood sugar so I can’t argue with that! Walking and biking do it for me!
I love your principle that exercise is “like music. . . that gives high feeling that just can’t describe”.
I need to develop that attitude to reach my goal and make a regular exercise in the morning by walking and jogging. I admit that I’m out of focus and lack self discipline.
One thing that I think might help is to be flexible in time because of my busy schedule with my work.
Thank you for motivating us!
Yes for me, exercise has to be fun in some sort of way and music does it for me. Whatever music gets you going and motivates you is the way to go. I know when I’m biking, walking, at the gym, I have to have fast paced music. Do whatever it takes for you to get motivated!
Diabetes is on the rise and knowing how to control it is so important. As you have pointed out diet and exercise are the keys to keeping healthy. So many people focus on diet to keep their blood sugar levels down but they forget about the exercise. Your excellent post could be a timely reminder for many sufferers.
Yes Margaret I agree that diet is no good unless you exercise as well. It really helps in controlling blood sugar levels.
I don’t have diabetes (yet) but I tend to feel really tired a few hours after a meal. When I was younger I use to eat sugar to get me back on track… After awhile I noticed I would feel even worst. I started exercising and having less of those huge cravings for sugar. Or at least I was able to better control it. I agree with you: you must fit it in your schedule at any cost. It makes you feel so much better in so many ways. The best part, it’s free and better than medication 🙂
Yes Carolyn, anything is better than medication. But exercise is good for us to be healthy. Once you get into a routine, it becomes easier and a part of your daily life.
I’m a recovering couch potato, so I am relatively new to the world of exercise, but you’re right about one thing: once you find what works for you it’s hard to give it up! I find that if I miss my daily walk (I do it first thing in the morning to avoid the excuses!) I feel horrible! Yoga is another great one for those days when you can’t get outside, there are heaps of easy videos online to follow along with. It’s great that you’ve found your exercise groove, all the best to you!
Yes Shirley, we should admit that there should be no excuses. LOL You have to find what works best for you and then just do it. The gym, walking and bike riding do it for me. On my way out the door now to hop on my bike. Love riding! It helps with getting that blood sugar down!
Well Rob, You have a great post here as well as other places on your website. I especially like this one on exercise. Like you say don’t start on New Years, start right now. You know even with exercise if you do it for 21 days, it will most likely become a habit. I like the idea that you gave of starting off with 15 minutes a day and then gradually increase it as you begin to enjoy it. Besides walking about every other day, I also will be playing pickleball about 2 to 3 times a week along with tennis. This is the fastest growing sport in the US. I do not have problems as I am getting older with diabetes , but I do have problems with stiff muscles, which has been hurting my shoulders and back for a long time. I found a special physical therapist that is really loosening me up and it seems to be making a difference. I know that eating right is also very important. Exercise is not the total picture as you say in other posts.
Everyone wants to make New Year’s resolutions. Why not make it a today resolution? Exercise and healthy eating go together. Doing 30 minutes of exercise a day 5 days a week is good for you. Find a sport or activity you love as you have and stick to it. As you make progress, it will become routine and not so hard. The results will be worth it! Glad your therapist is helping you loosening those muscles!
Walking is the best exercise I can think of that anybody can do. It is so simple, and if done enough, it can also burn a lot of calories. I think it’s especially important if people walk constantly for at least six thousand steps before they take a break would be pretty impressive. Controlling blood sugar shouldn’t be a problem because the muscles are one of the things in our bodies that uses the most amounts of sugar not including the brain. Yoga can be done later as a relaxing and blood circulation enhancing exercise. Great recommendations.
I’ve always said that walking is the best exercise and easy to do. It’s all about moving and our bodies are not meant to be idle all the time. Make a schedule and stick to it. Yoga is great and very beneficial as well. Combine the two and you’re even better off. It’s crucial to lowering and keep your blood sugar in control.
Hello here. Thanks for the cheerful and informative article.
Of course if we have chronic illness such as diabetes we do not need to sit and wait till somebody willing help shows up.
Your mentioned ways how to lower blood sugar are easy and manable. The walking is simplest and effective way to deal with depression. When we move we keep our muscles working. We burn glucose and insulin does not rush to take care of it. We burn fat too.
We can walk on every season of year. If we have dog, it is better. Double profit: for dog and for us.
How about meditation? This ancient technique calms the mind and the body. Everything is connected in body. When organs work in one rhythm blood sugar could be in balance too. What do you think?
All the best in your endeavors, Nemira.
Walking is great for everything, both physically and mentally. Any kind of exercise is beneficial for diabetes and lowering blood sugar, but walking is the simple way without having to buy any equipment except for a good pair of walking or jogging sneakers. It’s all about moving and not sitting around. Our bodies need exercise. I agree that meditation is good for diabetes. When the bodies organs work together in harmony, that’s extremely beneficial.
Thanks for the information on exercise and lower blood sugar Rob! It’s so important for people to realize how important exercise is for your body, and how it can impact the amount of glucose in your bloodstream.
I have an internal reminder built in after years of habit that makes me get up and move at least once an hour. Whether it’s going up and down stairs at work, doing a few jumping jacks at home, or even just grabbing some water and pacing around the house. The more you move the better, and there are so many different ways to incorporate a little exercise into your daily routine. Up and at ’em, right?
I never used to exercise much except when I was a kid. But I guess we don’t realize how important it is to move until there’s a health issue. It’s good that you’re always on the go and at least some exercise is better than none at all, right? Once you start moving and eating right, you’ll see those blood sugar numbers drop!
Hey, very nice blog. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you! This is all about helping folks with diabetes and lowering their blood sugar the natural ways.
I hope that you do come back often and that you spread the word about exercise and blood sugar and pass this website on to many others!
I appreciate your feedback 🙂