Physical activity

Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or activity program. It is important to make sure it is suitable for you.

If you are on insulin or other glucose lowering medications, you may need to take special precautions when exercising, to prevent your blood glucose level from dropping too low (also known as hypoglycaemia or a hypo). Make sure you discuss this with your doctor, diabetes nurse practitioner or diabetes educator.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage usually in hands and feet, it is important to talk to your diabetes health professionals such as a podiatrist before beginning or increasing exercise. This reduces the risk of ulcers and other diabetes-related complications. Ask your diabetes health professionals about looking after your feet when exercising.

Looking after your feet fact sheet

Ask your diabetes health professional if you have very-low, low, moderate, or high-risk feet. Discuss foot checks and how to best look after your feet with them.

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Foot health podcast

Listen to our Annual cycle of care podcast series to learn more about foot health checks and seeing a podiatrist.

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How healthy are your feet?

Learn the early signs of foot problems and how to look after your feet. Do our foot health quiz to find out if you have very-low, low, moderate, or high-risk feet.

Go to Foot Forward

Physical activity is any movement you do that leads to your muscles needing to use glucose for energy. Exercise is any physical activity you do to improve of maintain your physical fitness. Doing a combination of different types of exercise can help you manage your diabetes. Aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise every day and resistance exercise at least two or three times a week.

There are two main types of exercise: aerobic exercise and resistance exercise. Examples include:

Aerobic exercise—walking, dancing, aerobic exercise classes, cycling, swimming, yoga, lawn bowls, and walking up the stairs rather than taking the lift.

Resistance exercise—moving from sitting to standing or doing squats or wall push-ups, machine weights, dumbbells, resistance bands, or household items such as cans of food or bottles of water.

Talk to a qualified exercise professional such as an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist about a resistance program to suit your needs.

Ask your general practitioner (GP) if you are eligible for a rebate from Medicare to see an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. Check with your private health fund provider to see if they offer rebates for exercise physiologists, physiotherapists, and exercise programs.

Sport and diabetes

Having diabetes needn’t be a barrier to actively enjoying sports and exercise. Sportsmen and women with diabetes are common.

By testing your blood glucose levels around exercise, you can learn how different sports and session lengths affect your blood glucose levels.

• Go to Exercise and Sports Science Australia to find an exercise physiologist near you.
• Go to as1diabetes to find out more about young people and sport.

My child is starting school

Support for families, schools and health professionals so that kids with type 1 diabetes can stay safe and healthy at school.

Go to Diabetes in Schools