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Trainer Garett Reid recommends that people with diabetes who are new to exercise start with manageable strength workouts and track blood sugar before and after training. The report presents this as guidance for learning individual responses, not a guarantee that a workout is safe for everyone.
Trainer Garett Reid, who works with clients living with diabetes, recommends starting with a simple, low-intensity strength routine and monitoring blood sugar to learn how the body responds to exercise. The approach, reported by Fit&Well, is guidance for easing into training—not a guarantee that the workout is safe for every person with diabetes.
Reid, an NSCA-certified trainer with the wellness app BetterMe: Health Coaching, told Fit&Well that the early focus should be adaptation rather than muscle growth. He recommends repeating the same workout and workload at first, so people can observe their responses instead of increasing intensity quickly. Fit&Well says its advice was reviewed by Neil Gibson, senior physical activity adviser at Diabetes UK.
The routine is built around two sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise, with 90 seconds of rest between sets. Reid advises doing it two or three times weekly for four weeks. The listed movements include squats, glute bridges, wall push-ups, a banded bent-over row and a standing band overhead press. The source excerpt begins a sixth exercise but does not provide its full description, so the complete routine cannot be established from the supplied material.
Fit&Well’s report says BetterMe recently launched workouts for people with diabetes in collaboration with Diabetes UK. It recommends checking blood sugar before exercise, immediately afterward and again two to four hours later. Reid says people can consider gradually raising resistance or effort after they have learned how their body responds; the report does not present a personalized plan or medical clearance for individual readers.
Why Blood Sugar Checks Matter
Exercise can affect blood sugar, and the report frames monitoring as a way to spot an individual pattern rather than assume everyone responds the same way. That makes the guidance relevant to people who are unsure how to begin training: the proposed first step is to keep the workload manageable and pay attention to readings over time.
Reid also argues that strength training has a role beyond building muscle. He says adding muscle over time may support glycogen storage and that strength training can improve insulin sensitivity. These are claims attributed to Reid in the report, not a promise of a particular health result. The article does not provide study findings, nor does it establish that this specific routine will prevent or treat blood sugar problems.
For readers, the main practical point is the combination of gradual exercise and personal monitoring. Blood glucose patterns, medications, fitness levels and other health factors differ. A routine described as beginner-friendly should not be treated as universally appropriate without advice tailored to the person.
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How Reid Structures Early Training
Reid says he generally starts clients with strength training because, in his experience, many people have limited strength-training experience and low muscle mass. His proposed routine uses movements for several major muscle groups and begins with modest volume. The instruction to finish each set feeling able to do three or four more repetitions is intended to keep the initial effort restrained.
The plan is deliberately repetitive: do the same sets and repetitions in the next session, then repeat again, rather than immediately adding weight or pushing close to failure. The report says that after people understand their response, they may increase resistance or intensity gradually. It describes a longer-term possibility of training similarly to someone without diabetes, but that is Reid’s view, not an individualized recommendation for every reader.
Fit&Well attributes the exercise advice to Reid and says Diabetes UK adviser Neil Gibson reviewed it. The supplied source does not include Gibson’s specific comments or detailed safety instructions for different diabetes treatments. Readers should not infer that a review of the article replaces personal guidance from their diabetes care team.
“Your first month, don’t even worry about building muscle. In my opinion, you need to learn how your body reacts to the training.”
— Garett Reid, trainer at BetterMe: Health Coaching, speaking to Fit&Well
Who Needs Individual Advice
The source does not say that Reid’s routine has been tested in a clinical trial, or that it is safe for all people living with diabetes. It gives no details about participants, outcomes or specific blood sugar thresholds for stopping exercise. The report also does not explain how monitoring or exercise plans should vary according to medication, diabetes type, complications or other health conditions.
The supplied workout description is incomplete: it names a standing overhead press as the fifth movement but cuts off before the instructions finish, and it does not include the sixth exercise Reid says he typically recommends. The full routine therefore cannot be reconstructed from the material provided. It is also unclear when Fit&Well published the report; the source text gives no date.
Discussing Exercise With Your Care Team
The report’s next step for readers is to follow a gradual approach: monitor blood sugar before and after exercise, including again two to four hours later, and use those observations to discuss training with a qualified health professional. Anyone with diabetes should seek guidance suited to their own health and treatment before starting or changing an exercise program, particularly if they have concerns about blood sugar fluctuations.
Reid’s suggested progression is to maintain the same manageable sets and repetitions at first, then increase resistance or effort gradually once the person understands their response. The source does not specify a future research milestone, a clinical evaluation of the routine or additional details from Diabetes UK. Those points remain unreported.
Key Questions
What workout does Reid recommend starting with?
He recommends a low-intensity, full-body strength routine, with two sets of eight to 12 repetitions and 90 seconds of rest. The source material lists five movements but cuts off during the overhead press instructions and does not provide the sixth exercise.
How often does the report suggest doing the routine?
Fit&Well says Reid recommends repeating the routine two to three times per week for four weeks, while keeping the same sets and repetitions at first.
When should blood sugar be checked around a workout?
The report recommends checking before exercise, immediately afterward and again two to four hours later. The source does not give individualized thresholds or instructions for responding to particular readings.
Does the report say this workout is safe for everyone with diabetes?
No. It describes a trainer’s starting approach and says the routine may help people learn how their body responds. It does not establish that the workout is appropriate for every person or replace advice from a healthcare professional.
Source: rss
