Does exercise and physical activity cause hypoglycemia?

Exercise and other physical activity lowers blood glucose levels, so you have to be extra careful to avoid hypoglycemia during and sometimes after exercise (if you take insulin). When you first begin an exercise program, you will need to monitor your blood glucose levels after exercise to find out how your body responds. If you feel as though you are becoming hypoglycemic while you are working out, stop at once. Don’t say, “I’ll just do one more lap” or “Just 5 minutes won’t hurt.” Stop.

•  Check your blood glucose right away and treat hypoglycemia if you need
   to.

•  If you want to continue your workout, eat a snack, take a 15-minute
   break, and check to make sure your blood glucose has come back up
   above 100 mg/dl before starting back. If you start too soon, your blood
   glucose may drop again, quickly.

•  Studies show that hypoglycemia is even more likely to occur 4-10 hours
   after you exercise than during the activity or shortly after.