Mar 05, 2021

Manage Blood Sugar, One Movement At A Time

Spring is right around the corner! After a long winter and an even longer year, the weather is warming up and the future is looking bright. It’s a perfect time to get outdoors, start an activity routine and help keep your well-being at its best.

Staying active is especially important if you have diabetes. When you exercise, it can help lower your blood sugar for up to 24 hours or more after your workout by making your body more sensitive to insulin. Not to mention, regular exercise can help you reduce anxiety, lose weight, lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, strengthen your muscles and more!

Enjoy the outdoors to the fullest

To enjoy your time outdoors without having to worry about your blood sugar levels, bring your diabetic supplies with you. We recommend diabetes lancets, which have a simple design that makes them easy to use and bring on-the-go. They also use a fully concealed needle, so you can run, hike and stay active without accidentally poking yourself. After you check your blood sugar, easily store your used pen needles in the Pip Travel Safe container for easy disposal when you get home!

Sign-up for a lancet subscription or view additional lancet purchasing options.

If you’re a diabetic, you should also take extra measures to help stay safe and healthy while exercising:

Exercise one to three hours after eating – Your blood sugar levels are likely to be higher after eating, giving you more energy to exercise.
Check your blood sugar beforehand – If your blood sugar level is over 250, avoid exercise. Sometimes being active can raise your blood sugar even higher.
Take precautions if you use insulin – If you use insulin, it’s important to test your blood sugar before and after exercising. If the level before exercise is below 100 mg/dL, eat a piece of fruit or have a small snack to help increase it and prevent hypoglycemia.

Start an activity routine

From hiking to biking, kayaking or simply walking around the neighborhood, there are plenty of ways to be active outdoors. Even better, spending time outside can be good for your health. As little as 10 minutes in nature can help you feel happier, calmer and less stressed—which can lead to physical benefits like lower blood pressure! As you begin your activity routine, follow these tips to help you stay healthy and safe:

Follow guidelines – Work your way up to 150 minutes of a moderate-intensity aerobic activity like walking, 75 minutes of a vigorous-intensity aerobic activity like running, or an equivalent mix of the two each week.
Know your numbers – If you plan to exercise for more than an hour, check your blood sugar regularly to see if you need a snack.
Warm up and cool down – Walk or jog slowly for several minutes before and after exercising.
Stay well hydrated – Four hours prior to exercise, drink 350 – 500ml of water or a low-sugar sports beverage.
Bring healthy snacks – Always bring a small snack with carbohydrates in case your blood sugar levels get too low. Some good options are fruit or cheese and crackers.
Keep lancets on-hand – Order Pip Safety Lancets and keep them in a dedicated pocket of your backpack for easy access.
Stretch it out – After you exercise, stretch to help cool down and improve your flexibility.
Make time for rest – Taking rest days can help reduce your chance of injury and help you gain strength.
Focus on your goals – Relax, have fun and visualize achieving your health goals!
Speak to a professional – Make sure that you have your doctor’s OK before you begin an activity routine, especially if you are new to exercise, are older or have any medical problems.

Ideas to get you moving

As you begin your activity routine, the most important thing is that you find an activity you enjoy and stick with it. Not sure where to get started? Follow our recommendations for making physical activity a bigger part of your life:

Discover a new passion – You can explore local trails, sign up for an outdoor yoga class, join a recreational sports league or find another healthy activity you’ll love.
Form connections with others - Think of exercise as social time! Schedule workouts with old friends or join an exercise class and make new ones. It can make exercise fun, while also helping to keep you motivated and accountable.
Take part in a charity walk – Join a charity walk to get your exercise in while you help support a good cause. To help support the search for a diabetes cure, join the American Diabetes Association’s 2021 Step Out Walk. Find a date and location near you.
Exercise while watching TV – Don’t feel like going outside? Catch up on your favorite shows while you exercise! Hop on the treadmill, ride your stationary bike, do wall squats or any other exercise—all while you’re entertained.

Put Pip in your pocket

Pip makes it easy to check your blood sugar and keep your well-being at its best, no matter where your activity routine takes you. Between Pip Safety Lancets, Pen Needles and the Travel Safe sharps container, you’ll have everything you need to check your blood in nature or anywhere else.

To make ordering your diabetic supplies as convenient as possible, start a personalized subscription with Pip. Just choose a delivery schedule and select the supplies you need. Then, we’ll mail them directly to your doorstep on a regular basis. It’s one more way Pip helps make managing diabetes a little easier!

SOURCES

American Diabetes Association: “Blood Sugar and Exercise”

Harvard Medical School: “The importance of exercise when you have diabetes”

Cornell University: “Spending time in nature reduces stress, research finds”

Oregon Health and Science University: “Running Tips and Resources”

Harvard Health Publishing: “Moving from couch to 5K”