Physical activity and exercise in the management of type 2 diabetes: where to start?
Open accessAbstract
Physical activity is a fundamental therapeutic aid in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Regular engagement elicits a plethora of adaptations which leads to improvements in clinical outcomes, such as HbA 1c , lipids and blood pressure as well as whole body health and physical function benefits. Those with T2D are encouraged to engage in a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate‐intensity physical activity (or 75 minutes/week of vigorous activity). Current recommendations also suggest that this should be supplemented with two‐to‐three resistance, flexibility and/or balance training sessions/week. The latter is particularly encouraged for older individuals or those with limited mobility/poor physical function. Those with T2D are also encouraged to break up prolonged bouts of sitting. However, a large proportion of the general population do not meet current physical activity guidelines, with the figure even lower in those with T2D. Getting started and sustaining a physically active lifestyle is challenging. Therefore, this article aims to provide health care professionals with the information required to tailor guidance to individuals with T2D by: presenting an overview of current guidelines, terminology and benefits; discussing the risk of adverse events; precautions when exercising with complications; practical options for getting started and how to tailor advice in primary care. Where appropriate, individual preferences and motivations should inform decision making regarding exercise modality in order to maximise compliance. That said, the overarching message is that any physical activity is better that none, but more is better especially when combined with a reduction in sitting. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons.
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Directing patients toward reliable online resources and local opportunities can improve adherence.
“Directing patients towards reliable online resources and local opportunities available can also improve adherence.”
From The Impact of Physical Activity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (2025) · cites this paper as [98]
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The Impact of Physical Activity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Bassin, S. R., & Srinath, R. (2025) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/15598276231180541 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
- Authors
- Harrington, D., & Henson, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Diabetes Research Centre University of Leicester UK
- Corresponding author
- Harrington, Deirdre
- ORCID
- Harrington, Deirdre
- Venue
- Practical Diabetes
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2021-09
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 35
- ISSN
- 1357-8170 (ISSN-L)
- 2047-2897
- 2047-2900
- OpenAlex
- W3204463464
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 9
- FWCI
- 3.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Practical Diabetes (publishedVersion)
- Strathprints: The University of Strathclyde institutional repository (University of Strathclyde) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- University of Leicester
- Loughborough University
- NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Keywords
- type 2 diabetes, physical activity, exercise recommendations, resistance training, sedentary behavior, HbA1c, exercise safety, exercise adherence, primary care, physical function
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