The more strenuous your workout, the longer the effect lasts. But even light activities can improve your blood sugar level. Light activities include housework, gardening and walking.

Talk to your healthcare professional about an exercise plan. Ask your healthcare professional what type of exercise is right for you.

In general, most adults should get at least minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. That includes activities that get the heart pumping, such as walking, biking and swimming. Aim for about 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a day on most days of the week.

Most adults also should aim to do strength-building exercise 2 to 3 times a week. If you haven't been active for a long time, your healthcare professional may want to check your overall health first. Then the right balance of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise can be recommended. Keep an exercise schedule.

Ask your healthcare professional about the best time of day for you to exercise. That way, your workout routine is aligned with your meal and medicine schedules.

Know your numbers. Talk with your healthcare professional about what blood sugar levels are right for you before you start exercise. Check your blood sugar level.

Also talk with your healthcare professional about your blood sugar testing needs. If you don't take insulin or other diabetes medicines, you likely won't need to check your blood sugar before or during exercise.

But if you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, testing is important. Check your blood sugar before, during and after exercise. Many diabetes medicines lower blood sugar. So does exercise, and its effects can last up to a day later. The risk of low blood sugar is greater if the activity is new to you.

The risk also is greater if you start to exercise at a more intense level. Be aware of symptoms of low blood sugar. These include feeling shaky, weak, tired, hungry, lightheaded, irritable, anxious or confused.

See if you need a snack. Have a small snack before you exercise if you use insulin and your blood sugar level is low.

The snack you have before exercise should contain about 15 to 30 grams of carbs. Or you could take 10 to 20 grams of glucose products. This helps prevent a low blood sugar level. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water or other fluids while exercising. Dehydration can affect blood sugar levels.

Be prepared. Always have a small snack, glucose tablets or glucose gel with you during exercise. You'll need a quick way to boost your blood sugar if it drops too low. Carry medical identification too. In case of an emergency, medical identification can show others that you have diabetes.

It also can show whether you take diabetes medicine such as insulin. Medical IDs come in forms such as cards, bracelets and necklaces. Adjust your diabetes treatment plan as needed. If you take insulin, you may need to lower your insulin dose before you exercise.

You also may need to watch your blood sugar level closely for several hours after intense activity. That's because low blood sugar can happen later on. Your healthcare professional can advise you how to correctly make changes to your medicine. You also may need to adjust your treatment if you've increased how often or how hard you exercise.

Insulin and other diabetes medicines are designed to lower blood sugar levels when diet and exercise alone don't help enough.

How well these medicines work depends on the timing and size of the dose. Medicines you take for conditions other than diabetes also can affect your blood sugar levels. Store insulin properly. Insulin that is not stored properly or is past its expiration date may not work.

Keep insulin away from extreme heat or cold. Don't store it in the freezer or in direct sunlight. Tell your healthcare professional about any medicine problems. If your diabetes medicines cause your blood sugar level to drop too low, the dosage or timing may need to be changed.

Your healthcare professional also might adjust your medicine if your blood sugar stays too high. Be cautious with new medicines. Talk with your healthcare team or pharmacist before you try new medicines.

That includes medicines sold without a prescription and those prescribed for other medical conditions. Ask how the new medicine might affect your blood sugar levels and any diabetes medicines you take.

Sometimes a different medicine may be used to prevent dangerous side effects. Or a different medicine might be used to prevent your current medicine from mixing poorly with a new one. With diabetes, it's important to be prepared for times of illness. When you're sick, your body makes stress-related hormones that help fight the illness.

But those hormones also can raise your blood sugar. Changes in your appetite and usual activity also may affect your blood sugar level.

Plan ahead. Work with your healthcare team to make a plan for sick days. Include instructions on what medicines to take and how to adjust your medicines if needed. Also note how often to measure your blood sugar.

Ask your healthcare professional if you need to measure levels of acids in the urine called ketones. Your plan also should include what foods and drinks to have, and what cold or flu medicines you can take. Know when to call your healthcare professional too. For example, it's important to call if you run a fever over degrees Fahrenheit Keep taking your diabetes medicine.

But call your healthcare professional if you can't eat because of an upset stomach or vomiting. In these situations, you may need to change your insulin dose.

If you take rapid-acting or short-acting insulin or other diabetes medicine, you may need to lower the dose or stop taking it for a time. These medicines need to be carefully balanced with food to prevent low blood sugar. But if you use long-acting insulin, do not stop taking it.

During times of illness, it's also important to check your blood sugar often. Stick to your diabetes meal plan if you can. Eating as usual helps you control your blood sugar.

Keep a supply of foods that are easy on your stomach. These include gelatin, crackers, soups, instant pudding and applesauce. Drink lots of water or other fluids that don't add calories, such as tea, to make sure you stay hydrated. If you take insulin, you may need to sip sugary drinks such as juice or sports drinks.

These drinks can help keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. It's risky for some people with diabetes to drink alcohol. Alcohol can lead to low blood sugar shortly after you drink it and for hours afterward.

The liver usually releases stored sugar to offset falling blood sugar levels. But if your liver is processing alcohol, it may not give your blood sugar the needed boost.

Get your healthcare professional's OK to drink alcohol. With diabetes, drinking too much alcohol sometimes can lead to health conditions such as nerve damage. But if your diabetes is under control and your healthcare professional agrees, an occasional alcoholic drink is fine.

Women should have no more than one drink a day. Men should have no more than two drinks a day. One drink equals a ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1. Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

If you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, eat before you drink alcohol. This helps prevent low blood sugar. Or drink alcohol with a meal. Choose your drinks carefully.

Light beer and dry wines have fewer calories and carbohydrates than do other alcoholic drinks. If you prefer mixed drinks, sugar-free mixers won't raise your blood sugar. Some examples of sugar-free mixers are diet soda, diet tonic, club soda and seltzer. Add up calories from alcohol.

If you count calories, include the calories from any alcohol you drink in your daily count. Ask your healthcare professional or a registered dietitian how to make calories and carbohydrates from alcoholic drinks part of your diet plan.

Check your blood sugar level before bed. Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels long after you've had your last drink. So check your blood sugar level before you go to sleep. The snack can counter a drop in your blood sugar.

Changes in hormone levels the week before and during periods can lead to swings in blood sugar levels. Look for patterns. Keep careful track of your blood sugar readings from month to month. You may be able to predict blood sugar changes related to your menstrual cycle.

Your healthcare professional may recommend changes in your meal plan, activity level or diabetes medicines.

These changes can make up for blood sugar swings. Check blood sugar more often. If you're likely nearing menopause or if you're in menopause, talk with your healthcare professional.

Ask whether you need to check your blood sugar more often. Also, be aware that menopause and low blood sugar have some symptoms in common, such as sweating and mood changes. So whenever you can, check your blood sugar before you treat your symptoms. That way you can confirm whether your blood sugar is low.

Most types of birth control are safe to use when you have diabetes. But combination birth control pills may raise blood sugar levels in some people. It's very important to take charge of stress when you have diabetes. The hormones your body makes in response to prolonged stress may cause your blood sugar to rise.

It also may be harder to closely follow your usual routine to manage diabetes if you're under a lot of extra pressure. Take control. Once you know how stress affects your blood sugar level, make healthy changes.

Learn relaxation techniques, rank tasks in order of importance and set limits. Whenever you can, stay away from things that cause stress for you. Exercise often to help relieve stress and lower your blood sugar. Get help. Learn new ways to manage stress. You may find that working with a psychologist or clinical social worker can help.

These professionals can help you notice stressors, solve stressful problems and learn coping skills. The more you know about factors that have an effect on your blood sugar level, the better you can prepare to manage diabetes.

If you have trouble keeping your blood sugar in your target range, ask your diabetes healthcare team for help. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

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Request Appointment. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar. Products and services. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar Diabetes management takes awareness. By Mayo Clinic Staff.

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Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care. This might eventually develop into type 2 diabetes. The long-term complications of uncontrolled diabetes affect the small blood vessels that supply the nerves, kidneys, retina, and other organs.

Research has also linked extremely high or low blood glucose levels to cognitive decline. Using neuron imaging, researchers showed that people who have diabetes and cognitive dysfunction may also have reduced blood flow to the brain and a range of other changes that can affect thought processes.

Click here to read more about hyperglycemia and its complications. Hypoglycemia develops when blood sugar concentrations fall below normal. People with diabetes have a higher risk of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The human brain needs a constant supply of glucose.

Severely low glucose can have the following effects:. Less commonly, the person may experience seizures or lose consciousness. Among people with diabetes, severe hypoglycemia can be fatal.

If the kidneys and liver do not work correctly, breaking down and excreting medication from the body becomes harder. Excessive insulin production or supplementation can lead to hypoglycemia. Some tumors can cause low blood sugar , as they produce chemicals similar to insulin.

A tumor may also consume so much glucose that it does not leave enough for the rest of the body. People who undergo gastric bypass surgery might also experience hypoglycemia, as they will be able to take in less food than they were able to before surgery. Nesidioblastosis, a rare condition involving the enlargement of beta cells, often results in an overproduction of insulin.

Beta cells produce insulin in the pancreas. Glucose is another product of carbohydrate breakdown. It is a simple sugar that cells in the body can easily convert to energy.

Sugars, such as glucose, and complex carbohydrates make up the principal dietary carbohydrates. Other sugars can include fructose, lactose, and maltose, along with sucrose table sugar. Complex carbohydrates can include starches and types of dietary fiber.

The sugar goes straight from the digestive system into the bloodstream after an individual consumes and digests food. However, glucose can only enter cells if enough insulin is also circulating in the bloodstream.

Insulin is a protein that makes cells ready to receive glucose. The cells would starve without enough insulin or if they become too resistant to its effects. After people eat, blood sugar concentrations increase. The pancreas releases insulin automatically to move glucose from the blood to the cells.

The liver and muscles store excess glucose as glycogen. Glycogen plays an important role in achieving homeostasis, a balanced state in the body. It helps the body function during states of starvation.

If a person does not eat for a short period, blood glucose concentrations will fall. The pancreas releases another hormone called glucagon.

Glucagon triggers the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, which pushes levels in the blood back up to normal. People with diabetes need to maintain steady blood glucose levels. However, those without diabetes should also avoid increasing their risk of developing the condition.

The glycemic index GI can help people choose foods that will not disrupt their blood sugar levels. The index gives a value to each food. Foods that will cause blood glucose levels to spike dramatically, such as candy and sweet desserts, are high in the glycemic index.

Measured against glucose, which is in the index, foods such as soft drinks, white bread, potatoes, and white rice have a high glycemic score. Foods such as whole grain oats and some fruits and plants have a lower glycemic score. The glycemic load GL is based on the GI.

It provides a picture of the total impact a serving of food will have on energy levels. It is an essential part of effective diabetes control. Many people with diabetes must check several times each day to plan for activities and meals, as well as scheduling doses of medication or insulin.

A person can test their blood glucose levels with a glucometer. They usually come with lancets, or tiny needles, as well as test strips and a logbook to record results. People with type 2 diabetes normally need to test blood sugar concentrations at least once each day. Those who need to take insulin, which includes all people with type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2, have to test their blood several times a day.

Continuous glucose monitoring CGM can be an alternative method for glucose monitoring for people with diabetes. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a moderate weight, and getting at least minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise each week can help.

Any person who experiences symptoms of low or high blood sugar should see a doctor, whether or not they have a diagnosis of diabetes. Irregular or extreme blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes and other harmful complications.

Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can lead to the more severe complications of diabetes. So, eating mainly low-GI foods and exercising regularly can help keep blood glucose balanced.

Is low-sugar chocolate really better for my blood glucose? ow-sugar chocolate may be two different things. One is chocolate sweetened with a sugar alternative, such as sugar alcohols. Examples include mannitol, xylitol, or isomalt.

While they are usually lower in sugar, they still have carbohydrates and can affect blood glucose. They also have a slight laxative effect. Chocolate sweetened with stevia may be a better choice for a low glycemic treat.

Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate, especially dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70 percent.

Keep in mind that low blood glucose can occur during or long after physical activity. It is more likely to occur if you:. If hypoglycemia interferes with your exercise routine, talk to your health care provider about the best treatment plan for you.

Your provider may suggest eating a small snack before you exercise or they may make an adjustment to your medication s. For people engaging in long duration exercise, a combination of these two regimen changes may be necessary to prevent hypoglycemia during and after exercise.

Breadcrumb Home You Can Manage and Thrive with Diabetes Fitness Blood Glucose and Exercise. There are a few ways that exercise lowers blood glucose also known as blood sugar : Insulin sensitivity is increased, so your muscle cells are better able to use any available insulin to take up glucose during and after activity.

When your muscles contract during activity, your cells are able to take up glucose and use it for energy whether insulin is available or not. Understanding Your Blood Glucose and Exercise The effect physical activity has on your blood glucose will vary depending on how long you are active and many other factors.

Hypoglycemia and Physical Activity People taking insulin or insulin secretagogues oral diabetes pills that cause your pancreas to make more insulin are at risk for hypoglycemia if insulin dose or carbohydrate intake is not adjusted with exercise.

If you experience hypoglycemia during or after exercise, treat it immediately: Follow the rule: 1. Check your blood glucose.

It is more likely to occur if you: Take insulin or an insulin secretagogue Skip meals Exercise for a long time Exercise strenuously If hypoglycemia interferes with your exercise routine, talk to your health care provider about the best treatment plan for you.

They're packed with vitamins and minerals and are a very good source of fiber, too. They're a great alternative to meat when it comes to meeting your protein needs. Swap beans for the meat in tacos or your favorite chili recipe.

Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale have very low glycemic index values, as well as many beneficial nutrients like fiber and Vitamin C. They're flexible to use both raw and cooked, making them easy to incorporate into your daily diet. Toss a heaping handful of baby spinach into your smoothie or use kale in place of lettuce in a salad.

Dates have a lower glycemic index compared to other dried fruits and are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth when enjoyed in moderation. One date contains about 1. Snack on dates stuffed with natural peanut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

When you're having a hectic day it can be difficult to eat right, but Glucerna ® shakes and mini treats can make things easier. They have blends of carbohydrates that are slowly released into the blood stream to help minimize blood sugar spikes compared to high glycemic carbs.

They're a smart, portion-controlled choice. Stash a few Glucerna ® shakes or mini treats in your bag or desk drawer so you'll always have a snack on hand to help you through a busy day. Steel-cut oats are a good choice for managing blood sugar due to their rich fiber content — ¼ cup of dry about 1 cup cooked steel-cut oats contains 4 grams of fiber.

They can help manage blood sugar compared to higher glycemic breakfast choices thanks to beta-glucan fiber which can slow down carbohydrate absorption and help prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar. Make your own granola bars with oats.

Add seeds or nuts to your liking — just remember to keep the sugar low. Mushrooms have high concentrations of beta-D-glucans, a form of fiber shown to lower blood glucose response. As a bonus, mushrooms have a low glycemic index and come in a variety of options — portobello, shitake, cremini and more.

You can make them a regular staple in your diet and never get bored. A grilled portobello mushroom makes a great alternative to a beef patty for burgers. Onions have been used for medical purposes for thousands of years due to their various health benefits.

They are inherently a good low carb option that can easily be combined with other non-starchy vegetables in the form of a main or side dish, raw or cooked, to help manage blood sugar. They also contain an antioxidant called quercetin , which provides anti-inflammatory properties.

Add chopped raw onions to tacos or salads for a fresh and crunchy bite. Millet is an underrated choice in the world of grains. This gluten-free grain is high in fiber and when compared to rice or wheat, millet has a lower glycemic index.

Use millet as the base for a veggie bowl instead of rice or quinoa. In addition to other healthy lifestyle choices, incorporating these 10 nutrient-rich foods into your diet can provide you with a well-rounded approach to managing blood sugar and supporting your health and well-being.

Article originally published on Nov 9, ; updated Nov 6, What Is Insulin Resistance and How Is it Related to Diabetes? Insulin resistance is one of many terms people use when talking about their health, especially in the context of type 2 diabetes.

But what is insulin resistance, and how are the two related? Keep reading to discover the connection, risk factors and nutrition tips to help manage blood sugar. If you have diabetes, you're probably well aware that some foods elevate blood sugar levels more than others after a meal.

This is called postprandial glucose response PPG response , and it's key to effective diabetes management. To understand how certain foods affect your blood sugar, it can be helpful to know where they land on the glycemic index scale. But what is the glycemic index, exactly, and how does it affect PPG response?

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