The Role of Exercise in Managing Glucose Levels

Maintaining stable blood glucose levels is essential for managing diabetes and preventing long-term complications. Exercise is an effective way to help manage glucose levels, as it helps to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin resistance, and improve glucose uptake by the muscles. In this blog, we will explore the role of exercise in managing glucose levels and some tips for incorporating exercise into your diabetes management plan.

What happens to glucose levels during exercise?

When you exercise, your body requires energy to fuel your muscles. This energy comes from glucose stored in your muscles and liver and circulating in your bloodstream. During exercise, your muscles use up glucose at a faster rate than when you are at rest, which can help to lower your blood glucose levels.

Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity, which means your body can use insulin more effectively to transport glucose from your bloodstream into your muscles. This is important for people with diabetes, as insulin resistance can lead to high blood glucose levels.

What are the benefits of exercise for managing glucose levels?

Exercise has numerous benefits for managing glucose levels in people with diabetes, including:

Improved insulin sensitivity: Exercise helps to improve insulin sensitivity, which means your body can use insulin more efficiently to transport glucose into your muscles.
Lower blood glucose levels: Physical activity can help to lower blood glucose levels by using up glucose in the muscles and increasing glucose uptake.
Weight management: Regular exercise can help to manage weight, which is important for people with diabetes as excess weight can contribute to insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels.
Reduced risk of complications: Exercise can help to reduce the risk of long-term complications associated with diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease.

What types of exercise are best for managing glucose levels?

Any type of physical activity can help to manage glucose levels, but some types of exercise may be more effective than others. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, is particularly effective at improving insulin sensitivity and reducing blood glucose levels. Resistance training, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, can also be beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake.

Tips for incorporating exercise into your diabetes management plan:

1. Talk to your healthcare provider: Before starting an exercise program, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider to ensure that it’s safe for you to exercise and to discuss any potential risks.

2. Start slowly and gradually increase: If you’re new to exercise or have been inactive for a while, it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time.

3. Monitor your blood glucose levels: Check your blood glucose levels before and after exercise to see how it affects your levels. This will help you to adjust your medication or food intake as needed.

4. Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise to stay hydrated.

5. Be consistent: Regular exercise is key for managing glucose levels, so aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.

In conclusion, exercise plays a vital role in managing glucose levels in people with diabetes. It can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin resistance, and lower blood glucose levels. By incorporating exercise into your diabetes management plan, you can improve your overall health and reduce the risk of long-term complications associated with diabetes. Remember to talk to your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program and to monitor your blood glucose levels to ensure safe and effective exercise.

Prickless Glucose Monitoring with SenSights.AI

SenSights.AI is the only remote patient monitoring provider that uses all 3 methods to measure glucose level:

1. Prick-less Glucose Monitoring

Using SenSights app, patients can measure their glucose level in just 30 seconds with any smart device camera. The app uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to measure your glucose level. Besides glucose level, SenSights app can also measure your blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation and even stress level.

2. Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is an advanced FDA-approved diabetes monitoring system that measures and records glucose levels in the body over time. With a sensor inserted under the skin, it provides patients with continuous and proactive health monitoring, eliminating the need for daily finger prick testing. The SenSights.AI app upgrades the patient experience by providing access to historical data, enabling doctors to prevent diabetes progression and timely adjust treatment plans for their patients.

3. Finger Prick with a Glucometer

If you are used to traditional glucose measurement devices, you can use our FDA-approved Glucometer that will automatically transmit your readings to the SenSight app and will be automatically shared with a doctor and your loved ones.

Measuring your glucose is simple with SenSights.AI!