The Best Exercises to Lower Blood Sugar

Blood sugar plays a large role in how you feel every day. And your food choices can help prevent unwanted blood sugar spikes. But did you know that exercise can also play a vital role in improving blood sugar levels?

Just in case you need another reason to get or stay active, it turns out that moving your body can help keep your blood sugar steady. Here, we look into how exercise affects blood sugar levels, and the best exercises you can do to improve blood sugar management. 

How does exercise affect your blood sugar levels?

Exercise affects blood sugar in a few ways. When you exercise, your muscles need more sugar. As muscles contract, they take up sugar from the bloodstream to help create energy. This lowers the amount of sugar floating around in the bloodstream.

Exercise also makes your body more sensitive to insulin. Insulin is an important hormone in the body that helps keep your blood sugar steady. If your body doesn’t respond well to insulin — also known as insulin resistance — you are at risk for diabetes, heart problems, and metabolic syndrome. Exercise helps your body respond better to insulin. This way, insulin can do a better job at bringing your blood sugar down. 

So exercising regularly can help lower your chance of developing diabetes by helping you keep your blood sugar in the normal range. 

And for this reason, if you have diabetes and take insulin, it’s important to pay attention to your blood sugar when you exercise. Occasionally, exercise can lead to low blood sugar in people who take insulin. If this happens, reach out to your healthcare team. Your insulin dose might need to be adjusted based on your workout schedule. 

5 best exercises to lower blood sugar

If you’re hoping to lower your blood sugar through exercise, there’s good news: Most types of movement will help you bring your blood sugar down. Here are five types of exercise that can help. 

1. Walking

Walking — especially after a meal — can help keep your blood sugar stable. Going for a 30-minute walk after meals can help prevent the usual sugar spike that happens after meals. 

If you’re new to starting an exercise routine, walking can be a great way to ease into a life of more movement and more energy. It can also lower your risk for diabetes. Even small amounts make a difference. One study found that people who walked for at least 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week, lived longer than those who didn't. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Blood sugar and diet: Learn about the best foods to eat for blood sugar management if you have a risk of developing diabetes.  

• How can you build an exercise plan? Start slowly and set goals following the SMART framework. We share tips to build an exercise routine that you can stick with for the long haul. 

• Strength-training exercises at home: You don’t need any special equipment to start exercising at home. Here are tips to get you started.

2. Other low intensity steady state cardio (LISS)

Low intensity steady state cardio (also known as LISS) is a type of cardio performed at a consistent pace, with low to moderate intensity. It can be a great way to work out if you’re a beginner, or if you’re looking for ways to switch up your routine. 

One study looked into the benefits of LISS for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that often involves insulin resistance. Participants did this type of exercise 5 days a week for 20 weeks. People who worked out had lower weight and better response to insulin. 

If starting a new exercise routine feels intimidating, keep in mind that even one workout session can have an effect. A single low-intensity workout can lower blood sugar levels an hour later. 

LISS includes several types of activities, such as:

• Brisk walking (or walking at a steady pace on an elliptical, bike, etc.)

• Swimming

• Dancing

• Gardening

• Household chores

3. Strength training

Strength training involves plenty of muscle contractions. When your muscles contract, they take up more sugar from the blood to create energy for those movements. 

Some studies suggest that strength training might be more effective than cardio exercise at lowering blood sugar. In one study, people with diabetes who did strength-training exercises for 10 weeks had lower blood sugar levels than those who used a treadmill. 

Women who do any type of strength training have been found to have less risk for diabetes and heart disease than women who do no strength training. 

And pregnant women with gestational diabetes can get a big boost as well. One review of studies in this population found that the women who did strength training had better blood sugar levels and needed less insulin medicine. 

4. Yoga and Pilates 

Yoga and Pilates can be another gentle, effective way to lower blood sugar levels for those with insulin resistance or Type 2 diabetes. 

For women with increased weight, doing Pilates 3 times a week has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. 

Yoga may have added benefits since it also focuses on breathwork and relaxation. This can help you cope with stress better. Frequent stress can lead to increased blood sugar. So yoga may work in several ways to help regulate blood sugar. Multiple studies have found that regular yoga can help lower blood sugar and may help lower your risk for diabetes. 

5. High intensity interval training (HIIT) 

High intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is a form of exercise where you alternate between short bursts of vigorous activity and recovery periods. 

HIIT workouts are great for people who prefer shorter, more intense workouts. Most HIIT routines alternate 30-60 seconds of intense exercise with 30-60 seconds of rest, for a total of 10-20 minutes. Researchers have found that HIIT can lead to improved blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 diabetes. 

Most of the research looking at HIIT and blood sugar have studied people with diabetes or prediabetes. Some studies suggest that HIIT exercises may not affect blood sugar in people who don’t have any signs of prediabetes to begin with. But it could still be helpful for keeping those levels steady. 

How often should you exercise to lower your blood sugar?

There may not be a universal “magic number” that works the same for everyone. But a good rule of thumb is to follow the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of activity per week. You can break this up into small increments of 20-30 minute workout sessions, about 3-5 times per week.

It also may depend on what type of exercise you typically do. For example, HIIT workouts may lead to a decrease in blood sugar with less exercise time (20 minutes, 3 times per week) when compared to slow and steady cardio, or strength training.

When is the best time to exercise to lower blood sugar?

Scientifically, the best time for exercising for better blood sugar is about 30 minutes after you eat a meal. Blood sugar usually spikes around 90 minutes after eating a meal. So planning exercise around this time could help with lowering that blood sugar peak.

However, exercising 30 minutes after a meal may not be practical, or comfortable, for everyone. So the best time to exercise depends on what works best for your lifestyle. You want to find a time that works for you so you can make regular movement a part of your life. 

Remember that regular exercise can lead to lasting changes in blood sugar and how your body reacts to insulin. If you can exercise 3 times a week or more, that will have more long-lasting changes for your blood sugar. 

How long does it take for exercise to lower your blood sugar?

A single workout session can lower your blood sugar within an hour, and the effect can last up to 24 hours after you exercise. After working out for 2 weeks, the effects can last longer, up to 3 days after exercise. But to make a lasting impact on your blood sugar, a regular exercise routine is best.  

Most studies looking at the link between exercise and blood sugar found that doing a regular exercise regimen for 8 to 16 weeks was enough to lower blood sugar throughout the day.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Katie Horrell, MS, RDN, CPT

Katie Horrell, MS, RDN, CPT, is a passionate dietitian nutritionist and personal trainer with more than 6 years of expertise in telehealth, health coaching, and online education. Specializing in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance, and mindful eating, she guides people through struggles with their eating and exercise habits with empathy and compassion, and an emphasis on a healthy and sustainable relationship with food.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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