aerobic exercise and resistance training are both beneficial for diabetes and lower the hemoglobin a1c levels. structured exercise programs typically produce better results than “exercise advice” simply because the structured exercise programs achieve greater intensity and duration and greater compliance than when patients are left to their own devices to get the recommended exercise. in fact studies with “exercise advice” typically produced no improvement in the hemoglobin a1c (due to poor compliance) unless dietary improvements were also made. the best combination is always simultaneous dietary improvement plus exercise (cardio and/or resistance) and the more “structured” or “formalized” the better. in fact while patients who achieve the standard recommended “2. 5 hours per week” see greater improvements in hemoglobin a1c than those who do not meet this standard; those patients who exceed the standard get even greater improvements!
what kind of exercise is beneficial for people with diabetes?