Dog Walking and hypos

Choosehappy · Dec 4, 2020

Hi all

I have only been injecting for around a month but I am really struggling with any form of excersise. I am a very active person, always running around the house finding something to do, I take both of my dogs out separately every day and sometimes I like to just go for a walk by myself. But I keeping having hypos! I am reading, talking with nurse and watching videos on YouTube trying to find the best way to combat this. One way of course is to get into a routine and to know when I am going to take the dogs out or do my house cleaning. But I am just wondering if anyone can give me any firsthand advice? Do you eat more carbs before going out, how much for how many minutes and also how long before? It’s important to note that this is for average paced walking, I’m not a runner yet! Lol

NicoleC1971 · Dec 4, 2020

Choosehappy said:
Hi all

I have only been injecting for around a month but I am really struggling with any form of excersise. I am a very active person, always running around the house finding something to do, I take both of my dogs out separately every day and sometimes I like to just go for a walk by myself. But I keeping having hypos! I am reading, talking with nurse and watching videos on YouTube trying to find the best way to combat this. One way of course is to get into a routine and to know when I am going to take the dogs out or do my house cleaning. But I am just wondering if anyone can give me any firsthand advice? Do you eat more carbs before going out, how much for how many minutes and also how long before? It’s important to note that this is for average paced walking, I’m not a runner yet! Lol

Walking is a good way to drop blood sugars as it is usually longish duration and using big muscles so your 2 options are:
1) eat an extra slice of bread or a biscuit before you go = if you're needing more than 20g that suggests you are going for a very long or hilly walk or perhaps that you might reduce your basal.

2) reduce your short acting insulin the meal before you go out. For example if you know that 1 unit tends to drop you by 3 mmol (average). Test when you start the walk and then again when you are back to see what has happened.

Whether you ate the extra carbs or dropped some insulin you will start out with a slightly higher bg with the aim of getting it back down to normal by the time you are back e.g. if I eat an extra bit of toast may get to 12 but after an hour's brisk walk I might be down at 7 or so. Ditto for the dose reduction. It isn't an exact science but if you stick to the same kind of walk each time you will get good at this.

The amount of carbs you need or dosage to drop will be individual to you so some experimentation may be needed.

Don't over treat it if you do go hypo or you will end up on a rollercoaster.

I love walking my dog but he's rubbish at fetching me a jelly baby when I need it !

Adam Brown has lots on this in his free diabetes book ' Bright Spots and Landmines' : He is a type 1 with a dog and cycles a lot.
https://brightspotsandlandmines.org/ (also on Audible and Amazon)

Tophat1900 · Dec 4, 2020

I'm not type 1, but type 3c.... however, my insulin production is shot. I take my dog for a walk straight after lunch for 45 - 50mins and I just take less fast acting insulin to account for the impact of walking and then I take more when I get home. I've learnt to figure out how it works best for me, so some experimenting may be needed to figure it out. It dose take some time to figure out.

Choosehappy · Dec 4, 2020

Tophat1900 said:
I'm not type 1, but type 3c.... however, my insulin production is shot. I take my dog for a walk straight after lunch for 45 - 50mins and I just take less fast acting insulin to account for the impact of walking and then I take more when I get home. I've learnt to figure out how it works best for me, so some experimenting may be needed to figure it out. It dose take some time to figure out.

Thank you so much really helpful!

Choosehappy · Dec 4, 2020

NicoleC1971 said:
Walking is a good way to drop blood sugars as it is usually longish duration and using big muscles so your 2 options are:
1) eat an extra slice of bread or a biscuit before you go = if you're needing more than 20g that suggests you are going for a very long or hilly walk or perhaps that you might reduce your basal.

2) reduce your short acting insulin the meal before you go out. For example if you know that 1 unit tends to drop you by 3 mmol (average). Test when you start the walk and then again when you are back to see what has happened.

Whether you ate the extra carbs or dropped some insulin you will start out with a slightly higher bg with the aim of getting it back down to normal by the time you are back e.g. if I eat an extra bit of toast may get to 12 but after an hour's brisk walk I might be down at 7 or so. Ditto for the dose reduction. It isn't an exact science but if you stick to the same kind of walk each time you will get good at this.

The amount of carbs you need or dosage to drop will be individual to you so some experimentation may be needed.

Don't over treat it if you do go hypo or you will end up on a rollercoaster.

I love walking my dog but he's rubbish at fetching me a jelly baby when I need it !

Adam Brown has lots on this in his free diabetes book ' Bright Spots and Landmines' : He is a type 1 with a dog and cycles a lot.
https://brightspotsandlandmines.org/ (also on Audible and Amazon)

Thank you so much and for the book recommendation!

ert · Dec 4, 2020

I have two cocker spaniels so am a keen walker. I started by walking before breakfast on only long-acting, which means I don't need to eat for. It's a great place to begin to get some confidence. I try to exercise not within two hours of taking fasting insulin, or sometimes split my fast-acting dose and find that I don't need the second. On exercise heavy days, I cut back on my nighttime long-acting as it's a split-dose morning and night. I hope you get sorted soon.

Choosehappy · Dec 4, 2020

ert said:
I have two cocker spaniels so am a keen walker. I started by waking before breakfast on only long-acting, which means I don't need to eat for. It's a great place to begin to get some confidence. I try to exercise not within two hours of taking fasting insulin, or sometimes split my fast-acting dose and find that I don't need the second. On exercise heavy days, I cut back on my nighttime long-acting as it's a split-dose morning and night. I hope you get sorted soon.

Thank you so much for your advice, this forum is truly wonderful for getting a good idea of how others do it and of course it’s not one for all but I can try everyone’s recommendations until I find what works for me and it means a lot everyone trying to help!

Jaylee · Dec 4, 2020

Hi,

There is the factor, you could be honeymooning.. (Being recently diagnosed.)

I certainly take carbs with me whist out. (When the dog was with me.)

Though, to be fair. I normally would have a meal after walking the dog. So I knew I had no fast acting insulin on board to wrestle with. Same when I do the gigs. (Which can be full on for a couple of hours.) I litterally sing for my supper...

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