Page 1400 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

4. Exercise

a. Exercise lowers the blood glucose level,
encourages weight loss, reduces
cardiovascular risks, improves
circulation and muscle tone, decreases
total cholesterol and triglyceride levels,
and decreases insulin resistance and
glucose intolerance.
b. Instruct the client in dietary
adjustments when exercising; dietary
adjustments are individualized.
c. If the client requires extra food during
exercise to prevent hypoglycemia, it
need not be deducted from the regular
meal plan.
d. If the blood glucose level is higher than
250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) and urinary
ketones (type 1 diabetes mellitus) are
present, the client is instructed not to
exercise until the blood glucose level is
closer to normal and urinary ketones
are absent.
e. The client should try to exercise at the
same time each day and should
exercise when glucose from the meal is
peaking, not when insulin or glucose-
lowering medications are peaking.
f. Insulin should not be injected into an
area of the body that will be exercised
following injection, as exercise speeds
absorption.

Instruct the client with diabetes mellitus to

monitor the blood glucose level before, during, and
after exercising.
5. Oral hypoglycemic medications: Oral

medications are prescribed for clients with diabetes
mellitus type 2 when diet and weight control therapy
have failed to maintain satisfactory blood glucose
levels (Chapter 47).
6. Insulin (refer to Chapter 47 for additional

information on insulin)
a. Insulin is used to treat type 1 diabetes

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