Managing type 2 diabetes can sometimes feel like a defensive game of reacting to blood sugar spikes. What if you could go on the offense? Building strength is one of the most proactive steps you can take to put yourself back in control. It’s not just about burning calories during a workout; it’s about building metabolically active tissue that works for you 24/7. This process helps you improve insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle mass, making your cells better at hearing insulin’s signal. This guide will give you the practical, no-nonsense steps to get started, no gym membership required.

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Key Takeaways

• Build muscle to improve blood sugar control: Your muscles are the primary place your body stores glucose. By adding lean muscle through strength training, you give sugar a place to go besides your bloodstream, which directly improves your body's insulin sensitivity.

• Consistency is more important than intensity: You don't need an extreme gym routine to see results. Starting with just two short sessions a week is enough to make a measurable difference in your A1C and overall metabolic health, making it a habit you can actually stick with.

• Support your workouts with smart habits: What you do outside of your workouts is just as crucial for success. Prioritizing protein for muscle repair, getting enough quality sleep for recovery, and managing stress all work together to maximize the benefits of your training.

What Is Insulin Sensitivity (And Why Should You Care)?

Before we get into the benefits of building muscle, let's talk about a core concept in metabolic health: insulin sensitivity. You’ve probably heard the term, but what does it actually mean for you and your blood sugar? Simply put, insulin sensitivity refers to how responsive your cells are to the hormone insulin. Think of it like a conversation. When your cells are sensitive, they are great listeners. They hear insulin’s message to take up glucose from your blood, and they act on it right away. This efficiency is key to keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Why should you care? Because improving your insulin sensitivity is one of the most powerful ways to manage and even reverse type 2 diabetes. When your body becomes more sensitive to insulin, it can manage blood sugar more effectively with less effort. Your pancreas doesn’t have to pump out huge amounts of insulin to get the job done, which reduces strain on your entire system. This isn't just about managing a number on a meter; it's about helping your body function the way it was designed to, giving you more stable energy and better long-term health.

How Insulin Works in Your Body

Let’s do a quick review of how insulin is supposed to work. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose (sugar), which then enters your bloodstream. This rise in blood sugar signals your pancreas to release insulin. Think of insulin as a key. Its main job is to unlock the doors to your cells, allowing glucose to move from your blood into the cells where it can be used for energy. If your body has more glucose than it needs at that moment, insulin helps store the excess in your liver and muscles for later use. This entire process is designed to keep your blood sugar levels stable and provide your body with the fuel it needs.

What Happens When Your Body Resists Insulin

Insulin resistance is what happens when the locks on your cells get "rusty." The insulin key is there, but it struggles to open the door. This means your cells don't respond effectively to insulin's signal, and as a result, glucose can't easily get inside them. This leaves too much sugar circulating in your bloodstream. Your pancreas senses the high blood sugar and works overtime, pumping out even more insulin to try and force the cell doors open. Over time, the pancreas can get worn out, and blood sugar levels remain high, leading to prediabetes and eventually Type 2 diabetes. This state of insulin resistance is often linked to lifestyle factors like inactivity and diet, and it can increase the risk for other serious health issues.

How Building Muscle Helps Your Body Use Insulin Better

When you live with type 2 diabetes, you hear a lot about diet. But what if one of the most powerful tools for managing your blood sugar isn't just on your plate, but in your muscles? Building strength through resistance training is a game-changer for improving how your body uses insulin. It’s not about becoming a bodybuilder or spending hours in the gym; it’s about giving your body a more efficient, natural way to handle glucose.

Think of it this way: your muscles are the single biggest consumer of glucose in your entire body. When you strengthen them, you’re essentially upgrading your body’s internal blood sugar management system. This isn't a temporary fix. Every time you challenge your muscles, you're making lasting improvements to your metabolic health. This process works in a few key ways. First, more muscle gives you a bigger storage tank for glucose, pulling it out of your bloodstream. Second, the act of training makes your muscle cells more receptive to insulin’s signals. And third, it helps reduce the underlying inflammation that can make insulin resistance worse. Let’s look at how each of these pieces works together to put you back in control.

Your Muscles: The Body's Glucose Sponges

Imagine your muscles are like giant sponges for sugar. After you eat, your blood glucose rises, and insulin’s job is to move that glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy. Your muscles are the primary destination for this delivery. In fact, researchers at UCLA Health note that your muscles use over 80% of the glucose that insulin clears from your blood.

When you have more muscle mass, you have a larger, more effective "sponge." This gives that incoming glucose more places to go, preventing it from building up in your bloodstream where it can cause problems. The more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body can soak up and use sugar, leading to more stable blood sugar levels.

Improving Your Body's Insulin Receptors

Building muscle isn't just about size; it's also about sensitivity. Resistance training makes your muscle cells better listeners. When your body is resistant to insulin, it’s like your cells have their headphones on, ignoring insulin’s signal to open up and accept glucose. Strength training helps them take the headphones off.

The physical stress of a workout makes your muscles’ insulin receptors more responsive, meaning they can take in glucose more effectively with less insulin required. This improved insulin sensitivity is one of the most direct ways to counteract the effects of type 2 diabetes. You’re not just managing your blood sugar; you’re helping your body’s own systems work the way they’re supposed to.

Fighting Inflammation with Exercise

Chronic inflammation is a quiet contributor to insulin resistance. It creates a stressful environment in your body that can interfere with how well your cells respond to insulin. One of the biggest sources of this inflammation is visceral fat, the type of fat stored deep in your abdomen around your organs.

This is where strength training delivers another major win. It’s one of the best ways to change your body composition, helping you build lean muscle while reducing fat, especially that harmful visceral fat. By lowering inflammation, you create a healthier internal environment where your cells can communicate more clearly. This makes exercise a promising way to not only manage but also help prevent the progression of type 2 diabetes.

The Science: More Muscle, Better Blood Sugar Control

It might sound like an oversimplification, but one of the most powerful truths in diabetes management is this: the more muscle you have, the better your body gets at handling blood sugar. Think of your muscles as the largest storage tank for glucose in your entire body. When you build more muscle through strength training, you’re not just getting stronger; you’re expanding that storage tank, giving sugar a place to go other than your bloodstream.

This isn’t just a theory, it’s a well-documented biological fact. The science is clear that engaging in resistance exercise creates profound changes at a cellular level, making your body more efficient and responsive. Let’s look at exactly what the research says and how lifting weights can directly impact your blood sugar and A1C levels.

What Studies Show About Strength Training

The evidence supporting strength training is compelling. Your muscles are major consumers of glucose. In fact, they use over 80% of the sugar that insulin helps clear from your blood. It makes sense, then, that building more muscle gives you a significant advantage in managing blood sugar.

This effect is so powerful that studies show strength training can work its magic even without other changes. One study found that resistance exercise alone, without any specific diet or weight loss, helped improve how the liver handles insulin in obese teenagers. This shows that the act of building muscle itself is a potent tool for improving your metabolic health.

Lowering Your A1C with Lifts

For anyone managing type 2 diabetes, the A1C number is a critical measure of long-term blood sugar control. This is where strength training really shines. Research shows that a consistent strength training routine can lower A1C by 1% to 1.2%. To put that in perspective, that’s a reduction similar to what some diabetes medications can achieve.

This isn't a small change; it's a significant improvement that can fundamentally alter the course of your health. It demonstrates that you have the power to directly influence your key health markers through lifestyle. By picking up weights, you are taking a proactive step that has a measurable, meaningful impact on your A1C and overall well-being.

How It Works on a Cellular Level

So, what’s happening inside your body when you build muscle? The process works on a few levels, but it largely comes down to improving your insulin sensitivity. Exercise helps your muscle cells become more receptive to insulin’s signals. Think of it as turning up the volume so your cells can "hear" insulin more clearly and do their job of absorbing glucose from the blood.

Research confirms that exercise is a key pathway to enhanced insulin sensitivity and better muscle health. Studies have also found a direct association between muscle mass and insulin sensitivity, showing that having more lean tissue makes your body fundamentally better at managing blood sugar.

The Best Exercises for Building Muscle

When your goal is to build muscle to improve your insulin sensitivity, you want to be smart about how you spend your energy. The right exercises can help you see results more efficiently and sustainably. The key isn't to spend hours in the gym, but to focus on movements that give you the most benefit. Let’s look at a few effective approaches you can start with, whether you have a full gym at your disposal or just a corner of your living room.

Compound Lifts: Get More Bang for Your Buck

If you want the most efficient workout possible, focus on compound lifts. These are exercises that work several muscle groups at the same time. Think squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and overhead presses. Instead of isolating one tiny muscle, you’re recruiting large portions of your body to work together. This comprehensive approach is fantastic for building overall strength and muscle mass. More muscle gives your body more storage space for glucose, which is why resistance training is critical for improving blood sugar control. By making these multi-joint movements a core part of your routine, you’re getting a bigger metabolic impact from every single rep.

No Gym? No Problem: Effective Bodyweight Moves

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive equipment to build muscle. Your own body weight provides plenty of resistance to get started. Exercises like push-ups, air squats, lunges, and planks are incredibly effective and can be done anywhere. The science backs this up, showing that strength training alone can significantly build muscle and improve how your body processes insulin, even without other immediate lifestyle changes. The most important thing is to focus on good form and consistency. As you get stronger, you can make the exercises more challenging by slowing down the movement, increasing your repetitions, or finding variations that add difficulty.

The Key to Getting Stronger: Progressive Overload

To keep building muscle, you have to give your body a reason to adapt. That’s where the principle of progressive overload comes in. It simply means gradually increasing the challenge over time. If you lift the same 10-pound weights for the same 10 reps every week, your body will eventually adapt and your progress will plateau. To keep getting stronger, you need to change things up. This could mean adding a little more weight, doing one more rep, or resting for a shorter time between sets. This consistent challenge is what signals your muscles to grow, which in turn helps lower visceral fat and improve your body’s response to insulin.

How Much Is Enough? Setting Realistic Muscle Goals

When you hear “build muscle,” you might picture a bodybuilder, but that’s not the goal here. The real question is: how much muscle is enough to make a meaningful difference for your metabolic health? The answer is likely less than you think. You don't need a dramatic physical transformation to see significant changes in your blood sugar control.

The reason is simple: muscle is your body's primary storage site for glucose. Think of your muscles as sponges that soak up sugar from your bloodstream. The more muscle you have, the more places there are for that sugar to go after a meal instead of lingering where it can cause problems. As one UCLA Health report puts it, the more you exercise, the more sugar your body uses up. In fact, research shows that strength training alone, even without immediate diet changes, can build muscle and improve how your body handles insulin. The focus isn't on aesthetics; it's on building functional, metabolically active tissue that works for you 24/7.

The "Good Enough" Workout for Real Results

You don’t need to spend hours in the gym lifting heavy weights to get results. Studies show that low to moderate resistance training is actually one of the most effective ways to see significant improvements in fasting blood sugar. The key is consistency, not intensity. A sustainable routine you can stick with is far better than an extreme one that leads to burnout.

Combining different types of movement can also be powerful. Adding aerobic exercise, like brisk walking or cycling, to your strength training routine can further improve long-term blood sugar (A1C), body mass index (BMI), and body weight. This combination approach helps your body become more efficient at managing glucose while also improving your overall body composition. Ultimately, a "good enough" workout is one that you do consistently, challenges your muscles moderately, and leaves you feeling stronger, not depleted.

When Can You Expect to See Changes?

While building muscle takes time, the impact on your blood sugar can happen surprisingly fast. You don't have to wait a year to see if your efforts are paying off. The changes begin on a cellular level long before they're visible in the mirror.

For example, in one study, 34% of participants with prediabetes were no longer prediabetic after just three months of consistent resistance training. That’s a life-changing result in just 12 weeks. Other research found that a 12-week strength training program improved liver insulin sensitivity by 24%. These aren't small changes; they are significant metabolic shifts that demonstrate just how quickly your body can respond when you give it the right tools.

Common Myths About Strength Training for Diabetes

Let's clear up a few common misconceptions about lifting weights when you have diabetes. Understanding the truth can help you feel more confident and motivated to add this powerful tool to your health routine.

It's Not Just About Weight Loss

Many people think exercise for diabetes is all about the number on the scale. While managing weight is important, focusing only on weight loss misses a huge piece of the puzzle: building muscle. Think of your muscles as the biggest consumer of glucose in your entire body. When you eat, your body breaks down food into glucose. Your muscles act like sponges, soaking up that glucose to use for energy. The more muscle mass you have, the bigger your sponges are, and the more efficiently your body can clear glucose from your blood. This process directly improves your insulin sensitivity, making your body better at managing blood sugar long-term.

Why Cardio Alone Isn't the Answer

A brisk walk or a bike ride is fantastic for your heart and can certainly help lower blood sugar. But if you're only doing cardio, you're not getting the full benefit. While cardio burns glucose while you're moving, strength training builds the machinery to manage glucose 24/7. Studies consistently show that a combination of exercises is best, but resistance training has a unique edge for improving insulin sensitivity. Why? Because lifting weights is the most direct way to build that precious, glucose-soaking muscle. Prioritizing strength training gives you a powerful tool to fundamentally change how your body processes sugar, even while you're resting.

You're Never Too Old or Unfit to Start

It’s easy to think that lifting weights is for bodybuilders or people who are already in great shape. That couldn't be further from the truth. Strength training offers incredible benefits for people of all ages and fitness levels, and it's never too late to begin. You don't have to step into a gym and lift heavy barbells on day one. You can start right at home with bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups against a wall, or use light resistance bands. The goal is to challenge your muscles, and that looks different for everyone. Building strength not only helps your blood sugar but also improves balance, protects your bones, and makes everyday activities feel easier.

How to Make Strength Training a Habit

Knowing that strength training is good for you is one thing; actually doing it is another. The idea of starting a new fitness routine can feel overwhelming, but building a habit isn't about a dramatic overhaul. It’s about taking small, consistent steps that add up over time. The goal isn't perfection, it's progress. Here’s how to build a routine that supports your health for the long haul.

Start with Just Two Sessions a Week

If you're new to strength training, the best way to begin is by keeping it simple. Aim for just one or two sessions per week to give your body time to adapt and make the new habit feel less intimidating. You can build muscle effectively right from your living room. Start with your own body weight, focusing on foundational movements like squats, lunges, and push-ups (you can do them on your knees or against a wall). Once you feel comfortable, you can add light weights or resistance bands. The key is to listen to your body and build a solid base.

Quick Workouts for Busy Schedules

One of the biggest hurdles to a consistent routine is finding the time. The good news is that you don't need hour-long workouts to make a difference. Even short, focused sessions can have a powerful impact on your metabolic health. Research shows that moderate strength training for less than 12 weeks can lead to better A1C scores. A focused 20-minute workout is far more beneficial than an hour of half-hearted effort. Squeeze in a session when it works for you. When you lower the time commitment, it becomes much easier to stay consistent, which is what truly drives results.

How to Stick With It for the Long Haul

The secret to long-term success is turning your workouts into a non-negotiable part of your schedule, just like any other important appointment. Steady progress over time is what matters most. Find a time that works for you and block it off on your calendar. To stay engaged, find activities you enjoy. If you hate traditional weightlifting, try a group fitness class or even vigorous gardening. It's also helpful to track your progress beyond the scale. Notice when you feel more energetic or can do an extra repetition. These small wins provide the positive reinforcement you need to keep going.

Fuel Your Muscles and Improve Sensitivity with Nutrition

Think of your strength training and your nutrition as a team. One can’t do its best work without the other. The effort you put into your workouts creates the demand for change in your body, and the food you eat provides the building blocks to make that change happen. This isn't just about eating "healthy" in a general sense; it's about strategic fueling. Fueling your body correctly doesn't just help you feel stronger during your workouts; it’s essential for repairing and building muscle afterward. This recovery and growth process is exactly what improves your body’s ability to manage blood sugar.

When you focus on what you eat, you’re not just counting calories or carbs. You’re giving your muscles the specific nutrients they need to grow and become more efficient at absorbing glucose from your bloodstream. This powerful synergy between exercise and nutrition is the cornerstone of improving your metabolic health. It’s about making smart, sustainable choices that support your fitness goals and help you manage your diabetes more effectively. By viewing food as fuel for your muscles, you shift your mindset from one of restriction to one of empowerment. You're actively choosing foods that will make your next workout better and bring you one step closer to your health goals, one meal at a time.

Getting Enough Protein to Build Muscle

Protein is the foundation of muscle repair and growth. When you lift weights, you create tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibers. Protein steps in to patch them up, making the muscle stronger than before. Foods like chicken, fish, and tofu provide amino acids that are the essential raw materials for this rebuilding process. Getting enough protein is non-negotiable if you want to see results from your strength training. More muscle mass gives your body a larger storage site for glucose, which directly helps improve your insulin sensitivity. Aim to include a quality protein source with each meal to keep your muscles fueled throughout the day.

Does When You Eat Matter?

While what you eat is critical, when you eat also plays a supporting role. Consistency is key. Eating balanced meals at regular intervals can help maintain stable blood sugar levels, preventing the sharp spikes and crashes that can make you feel tired and work against your goals. You don’t need to follow a rigid, clockwork schedule, but creating a predictable rhythm for your meals helps your body’s internal systems run more smoothly. This regularity supports your metabolism and ensures your muscles have a steady supply of energy, which is crucial for both your workouts and your recovery. It’s about creating a sustainable routine that works for your life.

Foods That Pull Double Duty

Some foods are true power players, supporting both muscle growth and insulin sensitivity at the same time. Think of whole foods that are packed with nutrients. For example, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and bell peppers are rich in fiber and vitamins, which help with blood sugar control and overall health. Lean proteins and whole grains provide sustained energy and the building blocks for muscle. By focusing on eating more whole foods and fewer processed items, you’re naturally creating a diet that supports your body’s ability to use insulin effectively. It’s not about restriction; it’s about choosing foods that work hard for your health.

Beyond the Gym: Other Factors for Success

Building muscle is a powerful way to improve your insulin sensitivity, but your time in the gym is only part of the equation. What you do in the other 23 hours of the day matters just as much. Think of your workouts as the spark, while factors like sleep, stress management, and other forms of movement are the fuel that keeps the fire going. True, lasting change happens when you support your strength training efforts with a lifestyle that helps your body recover, repair, and thrive. Let’s look at the key pieces that work together to help you get the best results.

The Importance of Sleep and Recovery

Your muscles don’t get stronger during your workout; they rebuild and grow while you rest. Sleep is the most critical recovery tool you have. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, your body has a harder time repairing muscle tissue. Even worse, poor sleep can directly interfere with your metabolic health. Research shows that sleep deprivation can lead to increased insulin resistance, making it harder for your body to manage blood sugar. Aiming for seven to nine hours of quality sleep gives your body the time it needs to recover and regulate key hormones.

How Stress Can Stall Your Progress

You can have a perfect workout plan, but if you’re constantly stressed, you might be spinning your wheels. Chronic stress keeps your body in a state of high alert, releasing a steady stream of the hormone cortisol. Consistently high levels can work against you by contributing to insulin resistance and encouraging your body to store fat. Learning to manage stress through practices like deep breathing or a quiet walk is not an indulgence; it’s a fundamental part of improving your metabolic health and getting the most from your fitness routine.

Finding the Right Balance with Other Activities

While strength training is a superstar for building muscle, it works best as part of a team. You don’t have to choose between lifting weights and cardio; combining them is the most effective approach. Aerobic exercises like brisk walking or cycling improve your cardiovascular health and can further support your body’s ability to manage blood sugar. A well-rounded routine might include two or three days of strength training mixed with a few days of moderate cardio. This combination creates a powerful one-two punch for blood sugar control.

Your First Month: A Simple Action Plan

Getting started with a new routine can feel like a huge undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal for your first month is simple: build a consistent habit. It’s not about becoming a powerlifter overnight. It’s about showing up for yourself a couple of times a week and teaching your body a new way to manage energy. Remember, building muscle is one of the most effective ways to improve how your body uses insulin. Stronger muscles act like sponges, soaking up glucose from your bloodstream, which helps keep your blood sugar levels stable.

This plan is designed to ease you into strength training without overwhelming you. We’ll focus on foundational movements that you can do with just your body weight. As you get stronger and more confident, you can gradually add more challenges. Forget the all-or-nothing mindset. Every squat, every push-up, and every single session is a step toward better metabolic health. Let’s break down what your first four weeks can look like.

Your Week-by-Week Guide

Think of this as your roadmap to building a new habit. The key is to start slow and focus on consistency.

• Week 1: Just Begin. Your only goal this week is to start. Aim for two short sessions, about 20-30 minutes each. Focus on bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups against a wall or on your knees. The focus is on learning the movements, not lifting heavy.

• Week 2: Focus on Form. Stick with two sessions. This week, concentrate on your technique. Are your knees tracking over your toes during a squat? Is your back straight during a plank? Good form prevents injury and makes the exercises more effective.

• Week 3 & 4: Build Consistency. Continue with two sessions per week. You might notice you can do a few more reps or that the exercises feel a little easier. This is progress! A study with teenagers showed significant results from just two one-hour sessions per week, proving you don’t need to live in the gym to see real change.

How to Know It's Working

The scale might not be your best friend at first, and that’s okay. When you build muscle, you might see your weight stay the same or even go up slightly, because muscle is denser than fat. Instead, pay attention to other signs of progress. You might notice your clothes fit better, or that carrying groceries up the stairs feels easier. These are real-world wins.

More importantly, you’ll see changes in your health metrics. As you build lean body mass, your body gets better at managing blood sugar. One study found that a consistent strength training program helped participants’ livers become 24% more sensitive to insulin. Tracking your glucose levels with a CGM can give you real-time feedback on how your new routine is positively impacting your body.

When to Ask for Help

Starting any new physical activity comes with a golden rule: listen to your body and prioritize safety. Before you begin, it’s always a good idea to check with a healthcare professional, especially when managing a condition like diabetes. They can help you understand any personal limitations or considerations.

If you feel sharp pain during an exercise (which is different from the gentle burn of muscle fatigue), stop immediately. Working with a certified personal trainer or a physical therapist can be incredibly helpful for learning proper form. And if you’re part of a program like Heald, you have a dedicated care team to guide you. They can help you tailor your workouts and even offer tips, like timing your strength training about 45 minutes after a meal to help manage blood sugar spikes.

Related Articles

• Muscle Building for Diabetes: Reps, Sets & Rest Control Sugar

• How Building Lean Muscle Helps Control Blood Sugar & Boost Metabolism

• Muscle Health & Insulin Resistance: The Metabolism Connection

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Frequently Asked Questions

I always thought cardio was the best exercise for diabetes. Why the big focus on strength training? Cardio is fantastic for your heart and can definitely help lower your blood sugar during and after a workout. Think of it as using up the fuel that's currently in your system. Strength training, however, does something different. It builds the engine. By increasing your muscle mass, you are fundamentally changing your body's ability to manage blood sugar around the clock, even when you're resting. More muscle gives your body a bigger, more efficient place to store glucose, which improves your insulin sensitivity over the long term. The two work best together, but strength training is the key to making lasting changes to your metabolism.

Do I really need to join a gym and lift heavy weights to see any benefits? Absolutely not. You can build significant, metabolically healthy muscle right in your own home. The key isn't how much weight you lift, but that you consistently challenge your muscles. You can start with bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups against a wall. As you get stronger, you can make these moves more challenging by adding repetitions or using inexpensive resistance bands. The goal is to create a sustainable routine that works for your life, not to become a powerlifter.

I'm a woman and I'm worried about getting "bulky." Is that going to happen? This is a very common concern, but you can put it out of your mind. The kind of training required to build large, bulky muscles is incredibly specific and intense, involving a level of volume and diet that is far beyond what we're talking about here. Our goal is to build lean, functional muscle that makes you stronger and improves your body's ability to handle sugar. This typically results in a leaner, more toned physique, not bulk. You are building a more efficient body, not training for a bodybuilding competition.

How do I know if I'm eating enough protein to actually build muscle? You don't need to get lost in complicated calculations. A simple and effective approach is to include a source of quality protein with each of your main meals. Think of a portion about the size of your palm. This could be chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, or legumes. Eating protein consistently throughout the day provides your body with a steady supply of the building blocks it needs to repair and strengthen your muscles after you've challenged them.

Is it safe to start lifting weights if my blood sugar sometimes drops too low? This is an important question, and safety should always come first. It's wise to check your blood sugar before and after you exercise, especially when you're just starting a new routine. This helps you learn how your body responds. It can also be helpful to keep a small, fast-acting carbohydrate snack, like a few glucose tablets or a small juice box, nearby just in case you feel your sugar getting low. Before you begin any new fitness plan, it's always best to talk with your doctor or a dedicated care team to create a strategy that is safe and effective for you.