Training with Type 1 diabetes on a low-energy day: discipline over motivation

In short

• Doing something every day, even on a low-energy day, beats doing nothing.
• I wasn't motivated. I was disciplined. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline turns up anyway.
• I train in 1 minute on, 1 minute off blocks because, for me, it keeps my blood sugar steadier than long, hard efforts.

My blood sugar was high all day.

CrossFit was booked for the evening, and I really didn't feel like it. No energy. No buzz. Nothing.

I went anyway.

Not because I was motivated. Because I've learned that showing up on the flat days is what builds everything else.

The session

It wasn't a hero workout. It was the session I could do well on a day like that.

The 20 minutes of mobility isn't optional for me. I broke my T3 and T4 vertebrae more than 20 years ago, and my back still lets me know about it. Skipping the warm-up is how a bad day becomes a bad week.

Why CrossFit, as a blind athlete

I'm blind. That's a big reason I do CrossFit. My box is CrossFit QPO(opens in new tab) in Sant Antoni, Ibiza.

CrossFit has adaptive programs for disabled and adaptive athletes, and they're built around a controlled environment:

• It keeps you safe. The space, the equipment and the session are set up so you can train without guessing.
• There are always coaches there. Always people to help.
• You still take part. Not on the sidelines. In the session, being the best version of yourself.

It's an environment where we can thrive. On a low-energy day, knowing that support is there is part of what gets me through the door.

Why 1 minute on, 1 minute off

1. Recovery is built in. Every hard minute gets a minute to breathe.
2. It doesn't zap my blood sugar. In my experience, short efforts with rest keep my numbers at a steadier pace than one long, hard push.
3. I can keep the quality up. On a low-energy day, that matters more than the total.
4. It still counts. 45 minutes of work is 45 minutes of work, motivated or not.

That's my pattern, not a rule. Your CGM will show you yours.

What my glucose did

• About 4:30pm: around 15 mmol/L, after a day running high.
• Around 6pm: down to about 11.
• By 7:30pm: 6.8 and still easing down.

I can't say the session alone did that. Insulin, food and timing all play a part. But it's a good example of a high day ending in range, and I kept an eye on it for a low later on.

Training with high blood sugar: check first

A high number doesn't automatically mean no training. But it does mean checking before you start.

• Check your glucose before you train. Every time.
• If you're running high, check your ketones. Ketones are acids your body makes when it's short of insulin. International exercise guidance for Type 1 says that if your glucose is high and your blood ketones are 1.5 mmol/L or above, don't exercise. Sort the high out first.
• Lower ketone readings still need attention before you start. Your diabetes team can tell you exactly what to do at each level.
• Watch for a low later. Exercise can raise your risk of a hypo for at least 24 hours afterwards.

Talk to your diabetes team before changing your insulin around training.

Motivation vs discipline

• Motivation is a feeling. Some days it's there. Most days it isn't.
• Discipline is a decision. You make it once and stick to it.
• A low-energy session still counts. Smaller, steadier, done.

Not motivated. Disciplined.

Quick answers

Can I exercise with high blood sugar and Type 1 diabetes? Sometimes. Check your ketones first. If your blood ketones are 1.5 mmol/L or above, don't exercise until it's sorted. Agree a plan with your diabetes team.

Is interval training better for blood sugar? It varies from person to person. For me, 1 minute on, 1 minute off keeps things steadier than long, hard efforts. Use your CGM to learn your own pattern.

What should I do on a low-energy day? Something small and safe. A shorter session, a walk or mobility work still counts.

Your challenge

• Next time you don't feel like training, check your glucose (and ketones if you're high), then do a shorter, easier version instead of skipping it.
• Try one session of 1 minute on, 1 minute off, and watch your CGM for the next few hours.
• Write down how you felt before and after.
• Ask your diabetes team for your personal ketone and exercise plan.

Doing something every day is better than doing nothing. Turn up, even when you don't feel like it.