A look at the reported physical activity patterns of over 51,500 U.S. adults with diabetes found that being inactive was associated with higher risk of death (especially from cardiovascular causes like heart attack and stroke) than any kind of movement.
Physical activity encourages the movement of glucose from the blood into the muscles, which lowers blood sugar. This can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under control.
Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. The American Diabetes Association recommends people with diabetes distribute this activity across a minimum of 3 days. Studies suggest fewer than 50 percent of adults with diabetes meet these guidelines.
People with diabetes are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and death than people with normal blood sugar control. During a median follow-up of nine-and-a-half years, researchers in this study found that, for people with diabetes, regular physical activity, a “weekend warrior” pattern (condensing all the recommended activity into one or two days), and even activity that fell short of the 150 minute per week recommendation were all associated with lower risk of cardiovascular death than being inactive.
If you have diabetes, strive to meet physical activity recommendations. Talk to your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your physical activity routine, as medication changes may be needed.