Accumulating Physical Activity in Short or Brief Bouts for Glycemic Control in Adults With Prediabetes and Diabetes
Open accessAbstract
Clinical practice guidelines on physical activity and diabetes currently stipulate physical activity can be accumulated in bouts of ≥10 minutes to meet recommendations for health benefits. Individuals are also encouraged to interrupt prolonged sitting with brief activity breaks of ∼1 to 5 minutes in duration. Growing research highlights accumulating activity in shorter bouts across the day as a potential strategy to improve glycemic control and to help those who are largely sedentary meet physical activity guidelines. Research has shown favourable glycemic benefits for postprandial glucose and glycated hemoglobin with either 3 short (10 to 15 minutes) or frequent brief (1 to 5 minutes) bouts of activity spread around meals or throughout the day. To date, most studies examining accumulated activity were done with people with type 2 diabetes compared with sedentary conditions, were short term and measured various indices of glycemic control using continuous glucose monitoring. The 7 trials comparing accumulating 3 short bouts to a single bout showed comparable benefits for glycemic control (i.e. fasting glucose, 24 h mean glucose and postprandial hyperglycemia). Furthermore, timing short bouts around meals may improve postprandial glucose and hyperglycemia more than a single bout. It is unknown whether a threshold for the duration of accumulated bouts exists---that is, "how much is enough?" In this narrative review, we focus on the glycemic effects of physical activity accumulated in short or brief bouts for people with prediabetes and diabetes as compared with a single continuous bout. Given that poor adherence to physical activity recommendations and that fewer opportunities exist in modern societies for incidental (nonexercise) physical activity, accumulating activity may be a choice strategy for improving glycemic control in those with and at risk of diabetes.
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A narrative review of 11 studies found equivalent or superior postprandial glucose control with multiple short 10- to 15-minute physical activity breaks just before or after meals compared with one episode of 30 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise.
“A narrative review of 11 studies evaluating diabetic patients found equivalent or superior post-prandial glucose control with multiple short 10 to 15 minute PA breaks just before or after meals compared to one episode of 30 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise.”
From The Impact of Physical Activity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (2025) · cites this paper as [94]
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- Authors
- Chang, C. R., Russell, B. M., Dempsey, P. C., Christie, H. E., Campbell, M. D., & Francois, M. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Wollongong (AU)
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (AU)
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Venue
- Canadian Journal of Diabetes
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-12
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 759-767
- ISSN
- 1499-2671 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3097363163
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 0.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- Locations
- Canadian Journal of Diabetes (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Sunderland Repository (University of Sunderland) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1177234)
- 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
- glycemic control, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c, sedentary behavior, physical activity adherence, incidental physical activity
- MeSH terms
- Glycemic Control, Adult, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Glycated Hemoglobin, Humans, Prediabetic State, Time Factors, Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring, Exercise, Postprandial Period, Sedentary Behavior, Meals
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