Exercise can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes, says Micah J. Eimer, MD, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine in Evanston, Illinois.
Focus primarily on aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, biking, or swimming, says Dr. Eimer. Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart, which helps it pump more efficiently and improves blood flow throughout your body. Work with your diabetes healthcare team to plan any physical activity, especially if you’re new to exercise.
Eimer also recommends resistance exercises, because muscles are a major consumer of glucose (sugar) in the body. “I’m a big believer in the value of resistance training,” he says.
If you’re unsure how much of various activities is best for you, your doctor may suggest meeting with a personal trainer. You may also benefit from working with an exercise physiologist who can create a personalized activity program for you, says Ann Feldman, RD, a nutrition and diabetes educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.