A trainer who works with people living with diabetes says this workout will safely introduce your body to exercise and help manage blood sugar fluctuations
BetterMe’s Garett Reid takes a considered approach to starting to exercise with diabetes, but in a year he says you could be training in the same way as someone without diabetes
When trainer Garett Reid of wellness app BetterMe: Health Coaching first starts training clients with diabetes, he typically gets them to start with this tried-and-tested routine.
It’s a simple strength training workout that, when used correctly and with appropriate precautions, can help someone understand how their body responds to exercise.
That’s because building muscle or boosting VO2 max should be secondary to learning how your blood sugar levels fluctuate when lifting weights or performing cardio.
“Your first month, don’t even worry about building muscle,” Reid tells Fit&Well. “In my opinion, you need to learn how your body reacts to the training.
“Strength training is going to improve insulin sensitivity. Cardio is going to improve muscle function. That is going to improve your body’s ability to regulate glucose.
“A year down the road you can train exactly the same as someone without diabetes, but the early workouts should be all about adapting and learning how your body reacts.”
BetterMe has recently launched a series of workouts for people with diabetes in collaboration with the charity Diabetes UK, emphasizing the importance of testing blood sugar levels before and immediately after a workout, and two to four hours later.
Here, Reid, an NSCA-certified trainer, shares a full-body strength workout he recommends to his clients with diabetes when just starting out to introduce exercise safely and smartly.
This advice was reviewed by Neil Gibson, senior physical activity advisor at Diabetes UK.
How to perform the strength workout if you have diabetes
Reid tends to recommend strength training first “because in general people don’t strength train and they have low levels of muscle mass to begin with”.
Increasing muscle mass over time can also aid in glycogen storage, naturally lowering the amount of glucose coursing through your blood.
He typically recommends keeping workouts limited to six exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once.
“Pick one compound exercise for each major body part, including the chest, back, shoulders, legs and core,” he says.
For the abs, Reid favors standing exercises that challenge the entire core region to maintain balance and stability, such as suitcase or front carries, but because you may not have access to weights, the below workout uses a plank to train your core instead.
Start off with two sets per exercise, for eight to 12 reps per set (you should end the set feeling like you could do three or four more reps), and rest for 90 seconds between sets to keep training intensity low.
Repeat this routine two to three times per week for four weeks.
“The next session, do the same [number of sets and reps], then the same again. You might find it a little boring when you start, but that’s intentional.”
Test your blood sugar levels before and immediately after a workout, and two to four hours later to monitor how your body reacts to exercise.
Once you know how your body and blood sugar levels respond to the demands of the workout, you can gradually increase the weight you’re lifting and intensity (by lifting closer to failure, feeling like you end the set with two reps in reserve) to encourage your muscles to grow.
Here’s the beginner-friendly, full-body workout Reid recommends for people with diabetes.
1. Squat
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 90sec
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing out slightly.
- Sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your knees wide and raising your arms to help you keep your chest up.
- Lower until your hips are level with or below your knees, keeping your heels on the floor throughout.
- Push through your feet to stand upright, making sure your knees don’t cave in.
Make it harder: Perform a goblet squat, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest.
2. Glute bridge
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 90sec
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Press your arms into the floor on either side of your body to aid stability.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips off the floor until your body is in a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Pause and squeeze your buttocks at the top of the lift, then lower your glutes to the floor with control.
Make it harder: Perform this exercise with your shoulders elevated on a bench or box.
3. Wall push-up
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 90sec
- Stand an arm’s length away from a wall.
- Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height, shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall, maintaining a straight line from your shoulders to ankles.
- Push the wall away to return to the starting position.
Make it harder: Step further away from the wall to increase the challenge.
4. Banded bent-over row
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 90sec
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a long-loop resistance band under both feet.
- Grasp either end of the band and sit your hips back to hinge forward, keeping a slight bend in your knees.
- Retract your shoulder blades to engage your back muscles and engage your core.
- Pull the band toward your lower ribcage, bending your elbows and drawing them past your torso.
- Pause, then extend your arms slowly.
Make it harder: Use a stronger band or start with your hands further down the band to increase resistance.
5. Resistance band standing overhead press
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 90sec
- Stand with your hands inside a small-loop resistance band in front of your shoulders, with your palms facing and your hands pressing out to create tension in the band.
- Squeeze your glutes and engage your core to avoid arching your lower back as you move.
- Lift your hands overhead, maintaining tension in the band.
- Pause, then lower.
Make it harder: Use a stronger band or secure a long-loop resistance band under your feet as you press the other end straight overhead.
6. Plank
Sets: 2 Time: 30-45sec Rest: 90sec
- Lie on your front with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart (move them further important to make the move easier).
- Engage your core and lift your hips so your body is in a straigh line from ankles to shoulders.
- Hold this position, remembering to breath normally as you count down the seconds.
Make it harder: Gently rock forward and backward to introduce greater instability.
BetterMe says it will donate 50% of profits from new sign-ups to its diabetes-supported exercise program to Diabetes UK.
Shop BetterMe bands
Garett Reid is a strength and conditioning specialist with more than 12 years of experience in coaching, fitness education and performance training. He holds a master's degree in exercise science and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). An avid amateur athlete, he has competed in Strongman, Ironman triathlons, and surf ski racing. He strongly believes that an active lifestyle is the single best form of medicine there is to promote health and longevity.
