EXTOD Exercise for Type 1 Diabetes

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Barriers to exercise in people with Type 1 diabetes.

Barriers to exercise in people with Type 1 diabetes.

Patients with Type 1 diabetes have many barriers to exercise that are similar to the general populations such as

  • Lack of time
  • Work pressures
  • Bad weather
  • Cost
  • Lack of motivation

But there are certain barriers that are specific to them, see table below.

Table showing barriers to physical activity in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

New onset Type 1 diabetesEstablished Type 1 diabetes
  • Hypoglycaemia (both actual and fear of)
  • Lack of knowledge/confidence in managing diabetes
  • Advice from healthcare professionals to stop exercising
  • Planning (e.g. checking blood glucose)
  • Feeling overwhelmed by diagnosis.
  • Loss of control of diabetes
  • Lack of knowledge on the management of diabetes for exercise

To be able to increase activity these barriers will have to be overcome.

For more information on this subject see

  1. Brazeau A.S et al paper (Barriers to Physical Activity Among Patients With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(11):2108-9).
  2. Dubé MC et al paper (Development and validation of a new scale. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2006;72(1):20-7).
  3. Lascar N et al paper (Attitudes and Barriers to Exercise in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) and How Best to Address Them: A Qualitative Study).
  4. Kennedy A et al paper (Attitudes and barriers to exercise in adults with a recent diagnosis of type 1 diabetes: a qualitative study of participants in the Exercise for Type 1 Diabetes (EXTOD) study).


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