Exercise is very important in managing type 2 diabetes. Combining diet, exercise, and medicine (when prescribed) will help control your weight and blood sugar level.

Exercise helps control type 2 diabetes by:

Improving your body's use of insulin.
Burning excess body fat, helping to decrease and control weight (decreased body fat results in improved insulin sensitivity).
Improving muscle strength.
Increasing bone density and strength.
Lowering blood pressure.
Helping to protect against heart and blood vessel disease by lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increasing 'good' HDL cholesterol.
Improving blood circulation and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Increasing energy level and enhancing work capacity.
Reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and releasing tension and anxiety.

Assess Yourself: Is Your Type 2 Diabetes Under Control?

How Does Exercise Affect Blood Sugar Levels?

Normally, insulin is released from the pancreas when the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood increases, such as after eating. Insulin stimulates the liver and muscles to take in excess glucose. This results in a lowering of the blood sugar level.

When exercising, the body needs extra energy or fuel (in the form of glucose) for the exercising muscles. For short bursts of exercise, such as a quick sprint to catch the bus, the muscles and the liver can release stores of glucose for fuel. With continued moderate exercising, however, your muscles take up glucose at almost 20 times the normal rate. This lowers blood sugar levels.

But intense exercise can have the opposite effect and actually increase your blood glucose levels. This is especially true for many people with diabetes. The body recognizes intense exercise as a stress and releases stress hormones that tell your body to increase available blood sugar to fuel your muscles. If this happens to you, you may need a little bit of insulin after intense workouts.

For a variety of reasons, after exercise, people with diabetes may have an increase or a decrease in their blood sugar levels.

Is Blood Sugar Ever Too High to Exercise?

Yes. In some cases, you should hold off on exercising if your blood sugar is very high.

What Types of Exercise Is Best for Diabetes?

While most any exercise is healthy for people with diabetes, let's look at some specific types of exercise and their benefits:

Strength Training and Type 2 Diabetes

The latest findings show that exercise such as strength training has a profound impact on helping people manage their diabetes. In a recent study of Hispanic men and women, 16 weeks of strength training produced dramatic improvements in sugar control that are comparable to taking diabetes medication. Additionally, the study volunteers were stronger, gained muscle, lost body fat, had less depression, and felt much more self-confident.

For more detail, see WebMD's article Strength Training and Diabetes.

Aerobic Fitness and Type 2 Diabetes

Any activity that raises your heart rate and keeps it up for an extended period of time will improve your aerobic fitness. Aerobic exercise helps decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and helps those with diabetes to better manage their blood sugar levels. Besides the health benefits, exercise is fun and boosts your mood. It's hard to feel stressed when you're walking fast on a treadmill or swimming laps in a pool.