Pre-diabetics who want to avoid or delay the onset of diabetes should know that exercise has been show to play a major role in its prevention and control. Both aerobic and strength training help improve insulin action. Since the effect is short term, however, to maintain the improvement, diabetics and pre-diabetics shouldn’t go more than two days in a row without exercise. Aerobic exercise should be in increments of at least 10 minutes and should add up to 150 minutes a week. When exercising, diabetics should be sure to:
- monitor your glucose before and after exercise according to the directions of your healthcare provider
- drink plenty of fluids
- watch for signs of low blood sugar
- keep a fast-acting carbohydrate snack or drink on hand.