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Strength at home

Weights then cardio: a steadier-glucose workout

In one small trial of 12 active adults with type 1 diabetes, doing weights before a run kept blood sugar steadier during the session than running first, and lows afterwards tended to be shorter. This session puts the strength block first and the cardio second. It works as a full-body session for anyone, but it was built for type 1: check your glucose at the points marked and follow the exercise plan you've agreed with your diabetes team. With only one small trial behind it, treat the order as worth trying rather than proven.

45 minBeginner11 movesA dumbbell · A bench or box · A step · Cardio machine · A wallHip flexors · Quads · Glutes · Chest · Triceps · Back
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Check and warm up

  1. Standing march2 min
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoCheck your glucose and its trend before you start. Below 5 mmol/L (90 mg/dL), the international consensus advises 10 to 20 g of glucose and waiting until you're above 5. Above 15 mmol/L for no clear reason, check ketones first, and don't start if they're 1.5 mmol/L or moreHarder: Standing band hip flexion
  2. Bodyweight squat10 reps
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoEasy, to rehearse the movementEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat

Strength first

2 rounds · Rest 60 to 90 s between moves

  1. Dumbbell goblet squat8 to 12 reps
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoStop 2 to 3 reps short of failure. No dumbbell? Do bodyweight squatsEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
  2. Push-up6 to 12 reps
    Intermediate · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoHands on a bench or worktop if a floor push-up is too hardEasier: Wall push-upHarder: Close-grip push-up (close triceps position)
  3. Supported single-arm dumbbell row8 to 12 each side
    Intermediate · Back, Biceps, Shoulders · 3D demoOr a band rowEasier: Incline ring rowHarder: Bent-over barbell row
  4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift8 to 10 reps
    Intermediate · Hamstrings, Glutes, Back · 3D demoBack long, weights close to your legsEasier: Hip-hinge practiceHarder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift
  5. Step-up8 each leg
    Beginner · Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings · 3D demoHold a rail if you need toEasier: Low step-upHarder: Dumbbell step-up
  6. Forearm plank20 to 40 s
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Glutes · 3D demoKeep breathing: don't hold your breathEasier: Stomach vacuum (drawing-in)Harder: Plank walk-up

Check, then cardio

  1. Stationary cycling20 to 30 min
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoCheck your glucose before you start this block. Keep a steady effort where you can talk but not sing, or walk briskly or jog easily instead. Look at your CGM every 15 to 30 minutes and have carbohydrate if you're heading low, as your plan saysHarder: Air bike intervals

Cool down and check

  1. Treadmill walking3 to 5 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoHarder: Treadmill jogging
  2. Wall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)30 s each side
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoCheck your glucose again now, and keep checking for the rest of the day and nightEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)

Tips

  • Agree your insulin and food plan for this session with your diabetes team. Never change your insulin doses on your own.
  • Carry fast-acting sugar (for example 5 glucose tablets) and diabetes ID. If your glucose goes below 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL), stop, treat it, and restart only once it's back near 4.4 mmol/L (80 mg/dL) and steady or rising. If it went below 3.0 mmol/L (54 mg/dL), don't restart this session. Children's plans use higher thresholds, so follow theirs.
  • Exercising in the evening? Lows are commonest overnight after afternoon and evening exercise: set your CGM low alert (for example at 4.4 mmol/L) and keep hypo treatment by your bed.
  • On a closed loop, set the exercise or activity target 1 to 2 hours before you start.
  • In a tiny study of 7 young men, a 10-second all-out sprint at the end of moderate cycling stopped glucose falling. Try it only if you're used to hard efforts and your team agrees.
  • With unstable eye damage (proliferative retinopathy), keep the weights moderate and don't hold your breath, and check with your team before hard exercise.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

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Questions people ask

How long does the weights then cardio: a steadier-glucose workout take?

About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A dumbbell, A bench or box, A step, Cardio machine, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 8 of its 11 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.