The Importance Of Exercise: Diabetes A Plan For Living
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
The importance of exercise
In the management of diabetes — and many other diseases, for that matter — the benefits of exercise can't be overstated. Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, decrease harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raise healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve your general well-being. There are added benefits for people with diabetes: Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to insulin, countering the insulin resistance common in type 2 diabetes.
Regular, moderate exercise may also help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, particularly among those at high risk (see "Prevention is possible"). As a result, experts urge everyone with diabetes or at high risk for it to include some physical activity in their daily routine.
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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