[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/child-diabetes-exercise-qa-gade\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/child-diabetes-exercise-qa-gade\/","headline":"The Benefits of Exercise for Children with Diabetes: Q&A With UPMC Children’s Physical Therapist Eden Gade, PT, DPT","name":"The Benefits of Exercise for Children with Diabetes: Q&A With UPMC Children’s Physical Therapist Eden Gade, PT, DPT","description":"

Explore how exercise and physical activity can support children with diabetes. Expert advice and practical tips included.<\/p>","datePublished":"2025-12-16","dateModified":"2025-12-18","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/pediatrics","name":"Pediatrics","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/pediatrics","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/pediatrics\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2223046746-e1765914170698.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2223046746-e1765914170698.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/child-diabetes-exercise-qa-gade\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Pediatrics"],"wordCount":2032,"articleBody":"Whether your child has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, exercise can play a crucial role in managing their condition. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and can also allow them to socialize with their peers.More than 350,000 Americans under age 20 have diabetes. Over 300,000 have type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that occurs most often in young people but can develop at any age.Physical activity for children with diabetes requires a bit more planning and tracking to avoid hypoglycemia, or incidents of very low blood sugar. However, they can still participate.\u201cWe want to make sure kids with diabetes know that they can do anything that their peers can do,\u201d says Eden Gade, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh who supports children with diabetes. \u201cWe want them to stay involved in doing all the things that they love to do.\u201dPotential benefits of exercise for kids with diabetes include:Building strong bones and muscles.Helping prevent obesity.Improving blood sugar levels.Improving gross motor development.Improving overall wellness.Improving sleep.Maintaining heart health.In this Q&A, Eden discusses how physical activity helps diabetic children, safe\u00a0sports\u00a0and exercises for children with diabetes, managing insulin during physical activity, and more.Q: Can You Tell Us What You Do and Describe Your Role at UPMC Children\u2019s?A:\u00a0My role really is\u00a0just about helping\u00a0kids live active, healthy lives that they enjoy while feeling empowered to help manage their condition.At their\u00a0initial\u00a0diagnosis, patients and families receive three days of education, primarily with our diabetes educators and\u00a0dietitians. Beginning in 2023, I also began meeting with patients and families. My focus is on helping them understand how physical activity fits into diabetes management.At the very beginning, I provide a handout based on the\u00a0American Academy of\u00a0Pediatrics\u2019\u00a0recommendations.\u00a0It covers how often kids should be active and what types of activities are\u00a0appropriate for\u00a0different\u00a0age groups.\u00a0During my visit, I also do a quick screening that looks at strength, range of motion, balance,\u00a0and\u00a0sensation, just to make sure that the kids are ready and safe to\u00a0participate\u00a0in activities.Every family and child\u00a0is\u00a0different, so I try to tailor my education as needed\u00a0and address any concerns early on.\u00a0Ultimately, I\u00a0want families to know that exercise\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0something to be afraid\u00a0of with\u00a0diabetes;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0something to be embraced with the right tools and guidance.Q: What Is the Role of Exercise in Managing Diabetes?A: Physical activity in general plays such an important role in diabetes management. It helps with glycemic control for both type 1 and type 2\u00a0diabetes but\u00a0also\u00a0helps\u00a0overall health and quality of life.Regular movement helps improve insulin sensitivity. It supports heart health, builds strong bones,\u00a0improves\u00a0sleep, helps prevent obesity, and can give an overall sense of well-being.Especially with the younger kids we see, too, it\u2019s not just about structured exercise. It\u2019s\u00a0about play,\u00a0participation,\u00a0and\u00a0making sure that every child feels supported and able to keep up with their peers as well.Q: Is There Any Difference in the Impact of Physical Activity for Type 1 Diabetes Compared to Type 2?A: The impacts of physical activity are similar.\u00a0The\u00a0approaches\u00a0to take for safe exercise\u00a0can\u00a0change\u00a0depending on insulin dosing, and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0where the diabetes care team comes in a little bit more\u00a0to provide education on how to understand and manage those\u00a0situations,\u00a0so kids\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have to sit out of the things they love.With type 1 diabetes,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0not producing insulin\u00a0or not producing enough insulin,\u00a0whereas\u00a0with type 2, they have insulin resistance. So,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0in type 2 where those lifestyle modifications commonly have a greater impact on diabetes management\u00a0and can even help to prevent, delay, or reverse type 2.\u00a0With type 1,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0always going to need insulin, but lifestyle changes can help prevent\u00a0the development of\u00a0any other comorbidities\u00a0and\u00a0support\u00a0overall health and wellness.Q: How Does Physical Activity Help Children With Diabetes?A: I think the\u00a0big thing\u00a0is that it can really improve glycemic control.\u00a0You still may need insulin, but it can have a\u00a0really positive\u00a0impact on\u00a0insulin sensitivity and overall glycemic control. It also\u00a0helps kids keep up with their peers,\u00a0maintain\u00a0a\u00a0healthy lifestyle, and\u00a0incorporate\u00a0healthy\u00a0habits early on to support\u00a0both physical and emotional health.Physical activity is one of the best tools we have to support both physical and emotional health.Q: Does Exercise Lower Blood Sugar?A:\u00a0It really depends on the type of exercise and activities.\u00a0In addition, your blood glucose response to exercise can vary depending on your starting glucose level, the intensity of activity, the length of time you are active, and any changes you may have made to insulin doses.One thing\u00a0I educate\u00a0on is keeping an activity log\u00a0to\u00a0monitor\u00a0glycemic response with various activities\u00a0because\u00a0every\u00a0body\u00a0is\u00a0so different\u00a0and every\u00a0child is different in how their body responds to activity.In general,\u00a0aerobic\u00a0or cardiorespiratory exercise \u2014 the ones that can get your heart rate up, and make you breathe quicker, like walking, running, jogging, swimming, biking \u2014 tend to lower glucose levels. So, you may see that hypoglycemia occurs with those activities.More stressful activities, such as competitions or shorter sprint activities, can actually increase\u00a0blood glucose levels.\u00a0Adrenaline can play a part in raising glucose levels.\u00a0To learn how different activities affect you, you should check your blood glucose before, during, and after an exercise session.\u00a0You can keep that log, or, with\u00a0new technology, some continuous glucose monitoring devices can track activity within the device itself.\u00a0It\u00a0gives the diabetes care team a little bit better idea of how that child’s body responds to activity\u00a0to help families problem-solve in a\u00a0practical\u00a0way\u00a0and give the families the confidence to manage those situations safely, so kids\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have to sit out of the things they love.Q: Is There Any Added Concern With Exercise for Type 1 Diabetes?A: I think one of the biggest concerns families have early on is safety. They worry especially about going low with blood sugars or having hypoglycemic events.A big part of what the team teaches and what we go over\u00a0is how to prepare for activity safety.\u00a0Making sure the child is checking their glucose levels before, partway through \u2014 especially if\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a prolonged activity \u2014 and after.In children of all ages, exercise is often unplanned. Being prepared with\u00a0snacks to reduce the risk of\u00a0hypoglycemia and knowing the signs of hypoglycemia\u00a0are important.It\u2019s\u00a0a learning process for the team itself and for the kids and families. So, a big takeaway is that our\u00a0team\u00a0is\u00a0always available. If there are ever questions or concerns,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0always a phone call away.Q: What Exercises Are Safe for Children With Type 1 Diabetes?A: Every activity is safe\u00a0with some planning ahead and knowing how your blood glucose and body respond to\u00a0exercise. A\u00a0little bit of that\u00a0can be\u00a0trial and error.\u00a0So, using those tools\u00a0of\u00a0keeping an activity\u00a0log, talking with the care teams, and\u00a0those kinds of things\u00a0can be helpful.\u00a0We\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want kids to be afraid of\u00a0exercising. We want them to continue to\u00a0participate\u00a0and stay active. So,\u00a0nothing\u2019s\u00a0really considered an unsafe activity;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0just knowing how to manage it properly.Q: Can Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Play Sports?A: Definitely!\u00a0There are\u00a0actually a\u00a0lot of professional\u00a0and\u00a0high-level\u00a0athletes out there who have type 1.Q: Should Children With Diabetes Track Their Blood Sugar During Exercise?A: Yes,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0recommended\u00a0to\u00a0monitor\u00a0before, partway through, and after exercise. So, if\u00a0activity\u00a0is around 60 minutes, then at that halfway point \u2014 every 30-ish minutes \u2014 you should be\u00a0checking those numbers. The one plus now with technology is that with a continuous glucose monitor, a parent from the sideline could be watching their numbers all\u00a0throughout.It\u2019s\u00a0also helpful as kids get older, learning what their\u00a0lows\u00a0feel like. So, that way, they can kind of be like: \u201cOh, I’m getting kind of shaky \u2014 I should step out. That way, I can check it and make sure I’m good\u00a0to keep\u00a0going.\u201dQ: How Important Is It to Educate Others \u2014 Coaches, Gym Teachers, Etc. \u2014 to Be Mindful?A:\u00a0I think it\u00a0is extremely important to educate coaches and gym teachers about diabetes management so that kids can safely and confidently\u00a0participate\u00a0in sports and physical activity.\u00a0It is recommended, if the parents\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0going to be there, to have that\u00a0designated\u00a0supervision \u2014 whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a coach or another parent\u00a0to help the child troubleshoot\u00a0to promote\u00a0full participation\u00a0or know how to give emergency medication if needed\u00a0to prevent serious complications \u2014 having somebody on the sideline that knows how to approach and can treat it, too.Proper understanding of blood glucose monitoring, recognition of hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic\u00a0responses, and\u00a0the ability to act in an emergency not only promotes safety but also reduces stigma and prevents unnecessary restrictions, allowing children to engage confidently with their peers.Schools have an obligation to provide safe and inclusive environments. Knowledgeable staff help meet these requirements.Q: What Should Parents Know About Recovery After Exercise?A: Big things are getting good nutrition afterward\u00a0to support muscle recovery, getting good hydration, but then also just knowing that exercise in the short term can affect glucose numbers for up to 24 hours, especially after\u00a0really rigorous\u00a0activity.So, especially if\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0increasing activity beyond what they typically\u00a0do,\u00a0or\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0in a competition setting, just keeping a closer eye on their numbers \u2014 even overnight, too \u2014 just to make sure that\u00a0they’re\u00a0not dropping.If you are having consistent lows or highs with activity, I recommend reaching out to your diabetes care team to\u00a0determine\u00a0what adjustments may need to be made.Q: Are There Exercise Guidelines for Kids With Diabetes?A:\u00a0Kids with diabetes should follow typical guidelines for any of their peers.\u00a0The American Academy of Pediatrics\u00a0recommends:For\u00a0ages\u00a06- to 17-year-olds,\u00a0participating\u00a0in at least an hour of moderate to vigorous activity every single day, including strength-related exercise at least three days a week.It\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0have to be all at once. It could be smaller bursts throughout the day.For our younger kids,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0going to look a little bit different.\u00a0For ages 3 to 5,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0trying to get\u00a0180 minutes\u00a0of active play throughout the day, or about 15 minutes for every hour that\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0awake.Q: How Can Parents or Caregivers Learn More\u00a0About\u00a0Exercise for Kids With Diabetes? Do You Have Any Recommended Resources?A:\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0a great question. The\u00a0American Diabetes Association\u00a0has\u00a0some really great caregiver handouts of different activities to help get their kids involved.But then, hopefully, my role as physical therapist growing within this education process, at least within the Pittsburgh area, is that I can be another resource for families as well.So, if they ever have questions or concerns\u00a0about\u00a0how to safely start activity or what types of activities are\u00a0appropriate for\u00a0them, I can be that resource as well. My hope is that families walk away feeling empowered and supported, knowing there\u2019s\u00a0a team here to guide them every step of the way.Q: What Else Should Parents Know?A:\u00a0Families play a huge role \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important for them to be a role model for their kids\u00a0to help\u00a0to create those healthy lifestyle habits early on. Doing things as a family \u2014 whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0walking the dog or taking family walks after dinner \u2014 starting those healthy habits now can go a long way,\u00a0and kids are more likely to stay active if parents join in or encourage them.November is Diabetes\u00a0Awareness\u00a0Month, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0great reminder that living with diabetes is more than figuring\u00a0out your numbers, but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0also about living a full and active lifestyle. The goal isn\u2019t perfection,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0finding ways to move every day that feel fun and\u00a0sustainable.Sources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Benefits of Exercise for Children with Diabetes: Q&A With UPMC Children’s Physical Therapist Eden Gade, PT, DPT","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/child-diabetes-exercise-qa-gade\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]