The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently released updated comprehensive guidelines for people living with diabetes who need regular physical exercise.
The new guidelines encourage structured physical activity for all diabetes patients. Overall, the guidelines report that it is important for diabetes patients to reduce their sedentary time each day.
Most significantly, the recommendation urges people to maintain three or more minutes of easy physical activity, like leg extensions, walking or overhead arm stretches. Such exercises should be completed every 30 minutes throughout any significant periods of sedentary activity.
With these activities, patients could improve blood sugar management. This is particularly crucial for patients with type 2 diabetes.
"These updated guidelines are intended to ensure everyone continues to physically move around throughout the day — at least every 30 minutes — to improve blood glucose management," Dr. Sheri Colberg-Ochs, director of physical fitness for the ADA and lead author, said. "This movement should be in addition to regular exercise, as it is highly recommended for people with diabetes to be active. Since incorporating more daily physical activity can mean different things to different people with diabetes, these guidelines offer excellent suggestions on what to do, why to do it and how to do it safely."
