How Movement Helps Type 2 Diabetes

Key Information

Your muscles use glucose for energy, so being active helps them use more glucose. Regular activity also helps your body use insulin better.

Movement does not have to mean going to the gym or doing a formal workout. Walking, gardening, housework and chair-based movement can all get your muscles working.

Breaking up long periods of sitting gives your muscles more opportunities to work, while some activities should challenge them enough to help maintain strength.

As a general guide, work towards about 150 minutes of moderate activity each week and making your muscles work a little harder on at least two days each week.

How Does Movement Affect Blood Sugar?

When you eat, some food is broken down into glucose, or sugar, which your body uses for energy. Insulin helps move that sugar out of your blood so your cells can use it.

Your muscles use glucose for energy. When they are working, they need more fuel. Being active helps your muscles use more glucose, and regular activity also helps your body use insulin better.

What Counts as Being Active?

Exercise does not have to mean going to the gym, running or doing a workout. Walking, gardening and housework all count as ways to get your muscles working.

If walking is difficult, standing during television adverts, doing heel raises while the kettle boils or exercising from a chair can all get your muscles working.

Why Is Strength Important?

Moving more often does not always make your muscles work hard enough to help maintain their strength. Sometimes they need to be challenged a little more.

This becomes especially important as we age because we naturally begin to lose some muscle and strength. Strength helps with everyday tasks such as walking, getting out of a chair and staying independent.

Examples that make the muscles work a little harder include standing up from a chair several times, doing heel raises or trying chair-based strength exercises.

What Should I Work Towards?

As a general guide, aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity each week and aim to make your muscles work a little harder on at least two days of the week.

Moderate activity makes you breathe a little faster, but you can still talk. These targets are something to work towards. Movement can still have value even if it is not intense enough to count towards the 150-minute target.

How Does Movement Help Type 2 Diabetes?