Does Timing of Aerobic Walking Impact Blood Glucose Control and Personal Preference in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes?

Aerobic exercise has two primary benefits for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D): 1) It temporarily reduces insulin resistance up to 48 hours, and 2) It lowers blood glucose (BG) even in the absence of effective insulin action. Therefore, a dose of exercise shouldindirectly lower BG by reducing insulin resistance. Exercising after meals while BG is rising should directly lower postprandial glucose (PPG), a primary contributor to glycosylated hemoglobin and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.The only exercise guidelines given in the ADA’s 2012 Position Statement on the management of T2D were, “As much physical activity as possible should be promoted, ideally aiming for at least 150 min/week of moderate activity including aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training”.

DiPietro demonstrated that 45 minutes of aerobic walking, whether done in three 15-minute bouts after meals or in a single dose, similarly and significantly lowered 24-hour BG among adults at risk for developing T2D. Aerobic walking performed after meals, however, led to significantly lower postprandial BG. Not only is the type and timing of exercise important, but compliance among individuals with T2D is also critical. It may be that doing several 15-minute bouts of postprandial exercise is preferable to a single 45-minute block.(Read more)