Treatment of Diabetes with Lifestyle Changes: Physical Activity

Lifestyle improvements, like dietary changes and increased physical activity, are typically advocated for the cure, prevention, and reversion of several metabolic diseases, including diabetes mellitus. The non-pharmacological low-cost nature, along with the health-related benefits, increases the therapeutical appeal of regular physical activity. In the comprehensive approach of diabetes management, regular physical activity reduces risk of many diseases to which individuals with diabetes, particularly those with type 2 diabetes mellitus, are predisposed: hypertension, coronary heart diseases, and obesity. The present chapter covers how exercise can facilitate optimal glucose control and lipid levels, assist in weight management, and prevent exacerbation of underlying diabetes-complications, moving medicine forward, far beyond the simplistic motto of “exercise more.”