Understanding Gestational Diabetes: What’s Actually Happening in Your Body and How Exercise Can Help
By Kristen, Women's Health Exercise Physiologist | Meri Exercise Physiology
Gestational diabetes (GD) can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s suddenly dropped into your pregnancy journey. But understanding the why behind it and what’s actually happening in your body can make a world of difference.
Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense.
So… what is gestational diabetes?
In simple terms, gestational diabetes is when your body struggles to manage blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy. But it’s not because you’ve done anything wrong. It’s actually due to a complex shift in your hormones!
Here’s how it works:
When you eat carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, fruit, or even milk), they’re broken down into glucose, which then enters your bloodstream. This glucose is essential, it's your body’s main source of energy.
But glucose can’t just be absorbed into your cells on its own. Imagine your cells have locks, and the key to unlocking them is a hormone called insulin, which is made by your pancreas.
In response to rising blood glucose levels after you eat, your pancreas releases insulin. Insulin then unlocks your cells, allowing glucose to move from your blood into the cells where it can be used or stored as energy for later.
But when you're pregnant, your placenta releases hormones that actually increase insulin resistance. This means the locks on your cells become harder to open, like switching from a simple padlock to a massive bank vault. As a result, your body needs more insulin to do the same job.
In early pregnancy, your pancreas usually keeps up by producing more insulin. But as your pregnancy progresses (especially in the second and third trimesters), the hormonal load ramps up and for some people, the pancreas simply can’t keep up with demand.
This leads to higher glucose levels in the bloodstream and that’s when gestational diabetes is diagnosed.
It’s a physiological issue, not a personal failure. Your body is doing its best, but sometimes it needs a bit of support.
Here’s where it gets exciting: exercise is a game changer
Let’s go back to the lock-and-key analogy. In gestational diabetes, the insulin “key” doesn’t work as well. But there’s a superhero in the mix that can bypass the lock and key system entirely — and that’s exercise!
When you move your body, the muscles open up special channels that let glucose into the cells without needing insulin at all. Think of these channels like a secret side entrance, no key required.
This means less glucose stays in your bloodstream, and more gets used for energy right where it’s needed. With regular movement, you’re actively improving your blood glucose control in a completely natural and powerful way.
The best part? This kind of movement doesn’t have to be intense, sweaty, or time-consuming. It just needs to be right for you, your body, your pregnancy, and your capacity right now.
The bottom line
Gestational diabetes is a response to the natural hormonal shifts of pregnancy, but you’re not powerless.
With the right support and a tailored approach to exercise, you can help your body manage glucose more effectively and feel more confident in your pregnancy.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with GD or want to get ahead of it, I’d love to support you. This is what I do, helping women feel stronger, more informed, and more empowered through movement.
You’ve got this and I’ve got you.
Kristen x
