american council on exercise

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Get important tools for making sure your blood sugar level remains safe before, during and after exercising. Related Videos: Fueling up for exercise | HealthiNation http://youtu.be/vMh34mw3dqM The Gold Standard Test for Diabetes | HealthiNation http://youtu.be/SgeHAYwFegI While physical activity is good for all of us, it's an especially important tool for people living with diabetes. Regular exercise can lower blood sugar, help maintain a healthy body weight, and reduce long-term risks. But exercise also can bring risks. One of those is hypoglycemia -- or low blood sugar. That's why it's important to check your level before, during and after exercise -- especially if you are starting a new routine or are thinking about increasing your workout intensity. Here are some other important tips: • If you're low before or after a workout -- have a snack you keep with your gear -- like a juice box or some crackers and re-check before you start moving. • If you're doing a new workout or a longer one than normal -- check around 30 minutes into your workout. • Don't ever exercise if you feel shaky or confused -- that could be a sign of low blood sugar. Stop what you're doing -- check yourself and have a snack or take glucose tablets. • Remember that low blood sugar is possible long after exercising, so test several times in the first few hours after you work out. By checking your blood sugar as part of your exercise routine, you'll get to know how a change in exercise affects YOU, and how you can best manage it so you can keep hitting the gym. Sources: Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes: American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association: Joint Position Statement. Indianapolis, IN: American College of Sports Medicine, 2010. (Accessed July 30, 2012 at http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2010/12000/Exercise_and_Type_2_Diabetes__American_College_of.18.aspx.) Fit Facts: Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes. San Diego, CA: American Council on Exercise, 2009. (Accessed July 30, 2012 at http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=2608.)