My fingers become numb during exercise

Good day Dr Gardner,

I have been on an exercise routine for the past three months and have seen some results in terms of being more energetic and weight loss. However, while exercising, I notice that my fingers tend to get numb and feel swollen and I don't know the proper breathing technique while walking. I am 38 years old and diabetic.

Dear Reader,

Congratulations! You are doing a good job. The clothing and accessories you wear while exercising should be minimal, fit comfortably, and allow you to move freely. Tight clothing, rings, and so on, will interfere with normal blood flow and cause sensations of numbness. Numbness and cramps can also develop as a result of muscle fatigue and a rapid change in muscle temperature.

If the circulation in your finger is restricted by your ring, signs of swelling will develop. Such discomforts can be exacerbated if your blood sugar is low, you are dehydrated, you have a high body temperature or if there is a build up of waste material in your muscles.

Precautions to take

Check your diabetes medication

You need to ensure that your diabetes is under control for your safety during exercise. If you are on medication, adjust the timing and dosage to achieve balance in energy intake, output and medication dosage. If you are insulin dependent, check your blood sugar before, during and after exercise and adjust the dosage, if needed. Inject the insulin over a muscle which you won't be using much during the exercise and wait at least an hour before exercising.

Make note of the kinds of activities you are doing when the discomforts arise to see if there is a relationship between the activity and the discomfort. If the activity is too strenuous you could damage blood vessels and that can cause swelling. Diabetics are likely to have nerve tissue damage, and that could be associated with the numbness in your fingers. In that case, you would need to avoid high-impact activities with your hands.

Breathe through your nostrils

The duration of exercise could also result in discomforts. If you are insulin dependent, you should not do any intense exercise, without resting, for more than 30 minutes and just about 60 minutes for non-insulin dependent individuals.

When you are exercising, you should breathe in and out through your nostrils unless you are congested or are swimming.

During brisk walking, you should be able to converse without difficulty, if not, your pace is too fast. Having to breathe through your mouth is indicative of exercising too hard, thus your fainting experience. A fainting sensation can also be an indication of low blood sugar. It is recommended that insulin-dependent diabetics consume 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates during each 30 minutes of intense exercise and follow it with a carbohydrate snack.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.