Exercise with type 1?

[BecciAllgood]

Hi guys, not posted on here for a while

I have had type 1 since I was 1 and I'm now 21. I have struggled with exercise since I was a teenager, main reason is I don't really like it, other reason is I get scared that I am going to go hypo during a workout and then have to break off to eat which surely defeats the point of exercising?

I used to dance one a week for 5 years when I was a teenager which I loved and I didn't really see it as exercise even though it was, but that had to stop when I needed to find a job. I would not class myself as obese, I believe my last BMI was around 27/28 which sits in overweight. I want to shift some of these pounds ready for summer and was wondering if anyone has any tips on the best exercises etc..

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Diakat]

The best exercise will be something you enjoy and can stick with. Also remember that exercise is more than just calories in/calories out, the benefits can last longer than your session and if you gain muscle that burns more calories. I know myself that it is annoying to have to eat midway through a session, but if you choose snacks carefully they can still be within your targets for carbs/calories. I find cereal bars work well. Also weight training tends to raise or keep bs stable so you could try that?

 

[Mrs Vimes]

Hi Becci, get dancing again as soon as you can or find something else you enjoy. I test every 15 minutes when I do cardio or HIIT, every 30 minutes doing weights.
I test and don't care what anyone thinks as I'm keeping myself safe. You'll start to spot patterns that will help you plan ahead for adapting the next time you do the activity.
Cardio drops my sugars. I take emergency glucose tablets and lucozade.
Weights and HIIT increases my sugars, I correct with a bolus. If you are on a pump you can reduce or increase 30 minutes before. Figure quoted is 50% then adapt from there. I stop it 30 minutes before the end of cardio or 30 minutes after weights or HIIT.
But the trick is to keep testing.
Ps building up muscle is the way to go to trim up because they continue to burn energy after the activity. Lift heavy mate!

 

[noblehead]

You shouldn't refrain from exercise because you are fearful of hypo's @BecciAllgood, with some pre-planning you can reduce the incidents of hypo's.

The following website was set-up for type 1's who enjoy exercise and sports, have a good look through it and see if there's anything suitable that might interest you:

http://www.runsweet.com/

As for recommendations, I only really walk and do the occasional bike ride, but swimming is good if there's a pool near you.

 

[lely]

This is interesting, I love going the gym. Not to be fabulously thin, I'll never be that but to keep me in a good state of mind. It's proactive self care. I haven't been though since getting my pump (7dec) so much else to take on board. While on MDI I used to do both cardio and strength in same session. Would splitting the type of workout be to my advantage. As it would be clearer on how I'm reacting to the insulin.

 

[jakejayeden]

Get a hobby maybe. (sounds bad that but internet text doesn't carry tone so it looks a bit sharp). I mean find something you enjoy doing and find ways it can benefit or improve life by combing activity with it. Little things mount up, even walking. If you're interested in photography as such, don't drive, instead walk to locations.

 

[Mrs Vimes]

Lely I start with cardio in a morning session as I have Dawn phenomenon. I try to get my sugars in the 5s. Then I'll do weights or hiit.
I correct with insulin if I think it's needed if my higher basal rate isnt cutting it or if I have time I do more cardio.
I could split the workouts to cardio before work and hiit / weights after work but by the end of the day I have a severe case of the can't be bovvereds so I aim for before work.

 

[tim2000s]

This is interesting, I love going the gym. Not to be fabulously thin, I'll never be that but to keep me in a good state of mind. It's proactive self care. I haven't been though since getting my pump (7dec) so much else to take on board. While on MDI I used to do both cardio and strength in same session. Would splitting the type of workout be to my advantage. As it would be clearer on how I'm reacting to the insulin.

There's some interesting work been done by Swansea uni on this topic.

Basically, if you do a gym session that is aerobic, finishing it off with a high intensity anaerobic session, like a sprint, heads off the following lows that tend to occur by forcing the liver dump associated with anaerobic activity.

If you do an anaerobic, HIIT type workout that pushes Bgs up, a warm down anaerobic session will lower bg levels but also increases the risk of post exercise hypos.

Finally, if you simply do a weight training session, completing a programme using two sets per exercise, hyperglycaemia usually follows, however, if three or more sets are done, the liver dump is cancelled out as the muscles start to use the glucose once they have depleted their glycogen reserves.

Fascinating stuff.

 

[Mrs Vimes]

That's really interesting about 3 or more sets. I tried doing the Cindy wod and managed 4 sets before the liver dump. I got on the bike to do aerobic to bring it down.
I'm going to keep going next time as an 'experiment' to see what happens. (Probably a heart attack to be honest.)

 

[tim2000s]

That's really interesting about 3 or more sets. I tried doing the Cindy wod and managed 4 sets before the liver dump. I got on the bike to do aerobic to bring it down.
I'm going to keep going next time as an 'experiment' to see what happens. (Probably a heart attack to be honest.)

The two/three sets rule was at something like 80% of one rep max, as an indicator.

 

[Mrs Vimes]

Mmmmm, wonder if I slow it down and rest between sets. It's body weights. 5 pull ups' 10 press ups, 15 squats. Repeat for 20 minutes. There's a 1 km run at the start and end of it as fast as you can. Which I really hate.
I might try plodding the runs.