Diabetes and exercise: the benefits of staying active

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to help you naturally lower your blood glucose levels and manage your weight.

Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day can work wonders for your blood sugar levels and overall health. But, if your goal is also to lose weight, you may need to do a little more.

Note: Given the multiple factors involved in managing diabetes, it's best to seek advice from your GP or an accredited exercise physiologist (AEP), who will prescribe safe, evidence-based exercise to prevent and manage diabetes and its complications.

A quick biology lesson: Diabetes is the term used to describe your body’s inability to properly regulate glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream.

The pancreas produces insulin, which is key to regulating glucose levels. With type 2 diabetes, over time, your body’s cells develop resistance to insulin, most often because of a combination of excess body fat, particularly around the tummy, and physical inactivity. This means that glucose remains in your bloodstream rather than entering your cells, where it’s needed for energy. The good news is that exercise can naturally lower blood glucose levels and decrease insulin resistance.

“This works on a few levels,” says Nick Edwards, chief exercise physiologist with Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). “Cardiovascular exercise increases our glucose uptake and supports our cardiopulmonary and vascular health. It also helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Increasing muscle mass helps to decrease the body’s resistance to insulin, and better utilise the insulin it creates.”

The strongest evidence supports a combination of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming, and resistance training to build strength and muscle mass.¹

“ESSA recommends exercise be prescribed to the individual, taking into account their diabetes type, medications, complications, fitness level and personal goals. Individualising exercise is key,” says Nick.

A typical week might look like this:

Aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up and helps your cells use glucose more effectively. It’s also essential for weight loss.

What: Brisk walking or running, swimming, cycling or dancing.

When: 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week (150-210 minutes total).

Resistance training builds lean muscle, which improves insulin sensitivity and helps clear glucose from your bloodstream more efficiently.²

What: Bodyweight exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups), weights.

When: 2 - 3 non-consecutive days a week.

Stretching is great for preventing stiffness and reducing stress, which can adversely influence blood sugar.³

What: Yoga, Tai Chi, or gentle stretching.

When: 2 - 3 days a week.

Type 2 diabetes cannot be reversed. However, there are studies⁴ that show you can go into remission through healthy eating and exercise. Remission is defined as maintaining a blood glucose range of someone without diabetes for at least 3 months, without using glucose-lowering medications.

“The technical term is euglycemic,” says Nick. “I have worked with several people who have been able to reduce their medications, and in some instances, not need any at all. It's really important, however, that this is done with medical guidance only.”

Exercise provides significant benefits for people with type 1 diabetes. It can help increase cardiovascular fitness, strength and insulin sensitivity. However, blood glucose responses can vary, so exercise plans should be tailored to the individual.

“A new exercise plan may require discussions with your doctor and an AEP around insulin doses, carbohydrate intake, and glucose monitoring,” says Nick. “Working collaboratively with your healthcare team is always best.”

Type 1 diabetes certainly shouldn’t stop you from achieving your fitness goals.

“There are people who have type 1 diabetes doing amazing things in sport,” says Nick, “such as the professional cycling team who all live with type-1 diabetes, Team Novo Nordisk, which competes in major races around the world⁵, and tennis player Alexander Zverev, who won the 2026 French Open!”

Exercise can help manage gestational diabetes for the same reasons as above, plus the usual benefits of careful exercise during pregnancy.

“Gestational diabetes has an intricate relationship between the placental hormones and insulin resistance,” says Nick. “It can be a challenging and confronting thing to deal with, so reach out to an AEP if you need help.”

Some studies show that adopting a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, before conception may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.⁶

Diabetes Australia has a wealth of information on managing type 2 diabetes.