When Not to Exercise
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
Exercise is recommended in Type 1 and there are a small number of times to postpone it.
- High glucose with ketones present. Exercising then can push ketones higher rather than bringing glucose down.
- A reading that is already low, or falling. Treat it, eat, wait, then decide.
- While unwell with fever or infection, when glucose is already unstable.
- Straight after a severe low, when your body has not recovered.
Beyond those, the cautions are about protecting yourself while you go.
Feet come first. If you have any reduced sensation, never exercise barefoot, wear properly fitting closed shoes, and look at your feet before and after — a blister you cannot feel is how small injuries become serious ones.
Hydration matters more in Indian heat than most guidance assumes, particularly if your glucose has been running high, which itself causes fluid loss.
If you have diagnosed eye disease, kidney disease or heart disease, some activities need modifying and that should be agreed with your doctor rather than guessed. The general precautions for exercising with complications apply to Type 1 as well.
Stop for chest pain, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or sudden vision changes.