Friday, December 26, 2008 anon asks

Q: How to find a personal trainer who is familiar with diabetes?

This is specifically for Ginger, but others are welcome to answer. Ginger, I noticed that you said that your trainer is familiar with diabetes and understands the relationship between bloodsugar and exercise, and I think that's great! It's frustrating trying to explain the situation with your bloodsugar to someone who doesn't know alot about diabetes and sometimes this lack of understanding/communication may get in the way of progress with fitness/weightloss. Obviously finding a dietitian/nutritionist familiar with diabetes is easy (through your endocrinologist or diabetes educator!), but what about a trainer? Thanks so much!

-Mary

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Answers (2)

Ginger Vieira, Health Guide

12/26/08 11:12pm

Hey Mary!

Okay, so I was definitely really lucky to start working with a personal trainer that I later learned knew so much about diabetes. Andrew Berry had learned so much about diabetes partly because endocrinology fascinates him and he's pursued research on it on his own, but also because his educational background consists of a Nutritional Sciences & Dietetics degree. Learning about insulin and diabetes is part of the program in attaining this degree.

That being said, a lot of people are personal trainers without any bachelor's degree of any kind. (I'm a personal trainer, but I graduated with a writing degree). So I would recommend asking the Fitness Manager at your gym if any of the trainers there have a degree in nutrition or exercise science. I would be surprised if there wasn't at least one or two.

The other reason Andrew understands diabetes and insulin so well is because he is a bodybuilder and bodybuilders who really study their sport have to learn about manipulating and controlling their body's own insulin levels with careful diet and watching carbohydrates.

If you really can't find one, then by all means, find a great trainer who knows about exercise and educate him slowly. If you need help educating yourself at the same time, be patient, research (ask me for help!) and you'll learn.

Despite everything Andrew knows, I still had to take that knowledge and apply it to my own body and diabetes, which took patience, regular "self-study" research and a lot of trial and error!

Ginger