LivingWell with Diabetes

Eating better and living well with diabetes is about finding the right balance that works for you and your lifestyle.

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Updated on June 2, 2025

Reviewed by Dietitian

As a diabetes educator, I know that most people are aware that food and medication play a major role in their blood sugar levels. But movement and protein are equally important slices of the diabetes management-pie. This month, we’re exploring how exercise impacts your blood sugar in both the short and long term, and how simple, daily actions (like taking a 10-minute walk after dinner) can go a long way toward better glucose control. Plus, we’ll also take a look into the powerful role that strength training and protein play—not just for blood sugar management now, but for keeping your body strong, building muscle and helping you maintain a healthy metabolism for years to come.

What We Hear from Real People with Diabetes About Exercise

In my practice, I hear concerns like these all the time:

“I want to exercise more, but I’m afraid my blood sugar will drop too low.”
“I get overwhelmed with where to start or what kind of workouts are best for me.”
“I get into a good routine, and then something throws me off schedule. It’s hard to exercise consistently.”
“I’ve heard walking after meals helps… but is that really enough to make a difference?”

The truth is, you don’t need a complicated routine to see benefits. Whether you’re just starting out or already active, small steps like a quick walk after eating or adding resistance exercises a couple times a week can make a major difference.

How Movement Affects Blood Sugar

You don’t need an expensive gym membership or a complicated routine to make movement work for your blood sugar. In fact, simple activities like a 10-minute walk after meals or a few sets of bodyweight squats at home can help your body use insulin more efficiently and support better glucose control all day long. That’s because during exercise, your muscles pull glucose from the bloodstream to use for energy. Over time, regular movement helps your cells become more insulin-sensitive, meaning they respond better to the insulin you naturally produce (or take as medication). The result? More stable blood sugar and higher energy levels throughout the day. Different types of exercise affect your blood sugar in different ways:

Aerobic activity: Activities like walking, swimming, biking or dancing tend to lower blood sugar more immediately, especially after eating.
Resistance training: Whether you’re lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises, you’re building muscle, which improves your body’s ability to use glucose even when you’re at rest.
Flexibility and stretching: Stretching, yoga and pilates don’t immediately impact blood sugar as strongly as aerobic or strength training, but help to reduce stress (which can stabilize blood sugar in the long run) and support joint and muscle function for more consistent movement.
Practical movement: Moving in your daily life like gardening, cleaning, walking the dog, going up stairs and walking to your car are all functional movements that are part of our day. These may seem small, but when done consistently and frequently, they help keep blood sugar levels lower at baseline, keep you moving throughout the day, and may improve overall metabolic health.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT): Short bursts of intense activity followed by rest (like sprinting and walking) can lead to short-term blood sugar spikes due to stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline), but usually improves insulin sensitivity over time. This type of exercise is best introduced with professional guidance, especially for people using insulin.

High Blood Sugar & Exercise

For some people, especially during high-intensity or adrenaline-triggering workouts (like heavy lifting, sprinting or HIIT workouts), blood sugar levels may temporarily rise. This is a normal stress response, and it often resolves shortly after your workout ends.

If you notice frequent spikes, try starting with lower-intensity movement, monitor your blood sugar before and after, and talk with your health care provider about how to tailor your workouts to your body’s response. If you take insulin, it's important to know that you may be extra sensitive to your insulin dose after working out, even if you're correcting a high blood sugar.

Low Blood Sugar & Exercise

Exercise can sometimes lead to low blood sugar, especially if you’re on insulin or certain medications like sulfonylureas. Here’s a quick checklist to keep top of mind for times you’re exercising:

Know your blood sugar before and after activity
Have a small, balanced snack including a carbohydrate and a protein beforehand if your levels are on the lower end (<150 mg/dL)
Carry fast-acting carbs (like hard candies, glucose tabs, or juice) just in case.

Protein, Muscle Mass & Blood Sugar

We would be remiss if we talked about the power of exercise for diabetes without also mentioning the importance of protein. Protein helps our body rebuild and repair after exercise, preserving muscle mass and stabilizing blood sugar levels all day long. For people with diabetes, this is especially important: pairing protein with carbohydrates (even small amounts) can help blunt the rise in blood sugar and keep energy levels more stable. Plus, protein-rich foods tend to be more filling, which may help curb unnecessary snacking and reduce insulin resistance over time.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle—a process called sarcopenia—which can lead to higher blood sugars, slower metabolism and reduced strength. That’s why strength training and adequate protein intake work hand-in-hand: one stimulates muscle growth, and the other fuels it. Make it your goal to include a source of protein with every meal and snack, especially after exercise. Whether it’s eggs, Greek yogurt, edamame, tofu, chicken or beans, protein helps keep your blood sugar steady.

Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Remember, you don’t have to overhaul your lifestyle overnight. Here are our top starter habits to begin creating the habit of regular exercise:

Try just 10-minutes: Go for a quick, brisk walk after one meal to help lower blood sugar.
Make strength training part of your week: Try bodyweight exercises, resistance bands or light dumbbells twice a week.
Include protein with every meal and snack: Pairing protein with carbs helps stabilize blood sugar and keeps you fuller longer.
Be prepared for exercise-related lows: Always check your blood sugar before and after activity and keep fast-acting carbs nearby
Count all types of movement as progress: Walking the dog, gardening or climbing stairs all count toward your daily movement for better blood sugars.