Evidence summary (Updated 2022)
Regular exercise is one of the cornerstones of Diabetes treatment and empowers the patient to take back control of their disease.
The general recommendations for the amount and type of exercise for people with T2DM is to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise or 75 minutes vigorous aerobic exercise per week and 2–3 half-hour sessions of resistance (strength) exercise on non-consecutive days each week or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. (1,2)
Quality of evidence
C – Low quality
Strength of recommendation
1 – Strong
Conclusion
Although the supporting evidence base is of low quality, this is a strong recommendation for most people with type 2 diabetes.
References:
[1] Williams A, Radford J, O’Brien J, Davison K: Type 2 diabetes and the medicine of exercise: The role of general practice in ensuring exercise is part of every patient’s plan: Australian Journal of General Practice; Volume 49, Issue 4, April 2020. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-09-19-5091
[2] Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Yardley JE, Riddell MC, Dunstan DW, Dempsey PC, Horton ES, Castorino K, Tate DF. Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes: A Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016 Nov;39(11):2065-2079. doi: 10.2337/dc16-1728. PMID: 27926890; PMCID: PMC6908414.