Blood sugar levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day, particularly after eating.
Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into our cells, where it can be used for energy.
When the body becomes less responsive to insulin (known as insulin resistance), it becomes harder to move glucose out of the bloodstream. Over time, this can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
The good news is that exercise can help your body manage blood sugar more effectively.
How does exercise lower blood sugar?
When you exercise, your working muscles need more energy.
To meet this demand, muscles take up more glucose from the bloodstream. Importantly, contracting muscles can take up glucose even without relying entirely on insulin.
Exercise also improves insulin sensitivity, meaning your body becomes better at responding to insulin and moving glucose out of the bloodstream. This effect can continue for many hours after exercise.
What type of exercise is best?
Both aerobic exercise and strength training can improve blood sugar control.
Aerobic exercise includes continuous activities that increase your heart rate and breathing, such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming and jogging. Research has shown that regular aerobic exercise can reduce HbA1c by approximately 0.5–0.7 percentage points in adults with type 2 diabetes (1). HbA1c provides an indication of average blood glucose levels over the previous 2–3 months.
Strength training is also important because skeletal muscle is a major site for glucose uptake and storage. Regular strength training can improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control while helping maintain or increase muscle mass (1).
A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise can provide particularly beneficial effects for blood sugar management (1). Aim for at least 150-minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, alongside strength training involving the major muscle groups on two to three days per week.
Can a short walk after eating help?
Yes. You don’t necessarily need to complete a long workout to influence your blood sugar.
In a study of adults with type 2 diabetes, taking a 10-minute walk after each main meal reduced post-meal glucose levels by approximately 12% compared with completing one 30-minute walk each day.
The greatest benefit was seen after the evening meal, with a 22% reduction in post-meal glucose (2).
A practical strategy is to take a 10–15 minute walk after a meal when possible.
Blood sugar management isn't just about structured workouts—movement throughout the day matters too.
Is exercise safe for everyone with diabetes?
Exercise is strongly recommended for most people with diabetes, but individual considerations are important.
Some glucose-lowering medications can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) during or after exercise. People taking these medications or insulin, or those with diabetes-related complications, may require individual advice about exercise and blood glucose monitoring.
An Accredited Exercise Physiologist can help prescribe a safe and appropriate exercise program based on your health, medications and individual circumstances.
Take-home message
Aim for a combination of regular aerobic exercise, strength training and movement throughout the day. Even something as simple as taking a short walk after a meal can help.
When it comes to blood sugar, every opportunity to move counts.
References
- Kanaley JA, Colberg SR, Corcoran MH, et al. Exercise/physical activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a consensus statement from the American College of Sports Medicine. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54(2):353–368. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002800.
- Reynolds AN, Mann JI, Williams S, Venn BJ. Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study. Diabetologia. 2016;59(12):2572-2578. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2.