This Is the Best Time of Day to Exercise for People with Type 2 Diabetes

>New research suggests that exercising in the afternoon may have the most benefits for people living with type 2 diabetes. Azman Jaka/Getty ImagesExercise can provide several benefits for those with diabetes, including lowering blood sugar.Better blood sugar control may reduce your risk for heart disease and other adverse effects.New research indicates that afternoon exercise in particular seems to help blood sugar control.However, it is not yet certain why afternoon exercise would be more beneficial.Experts say they generally advise regular exercise as a part of diabetes management.The American Diabetes Association notes that, as of 2019, 37.3 million Americans (11.3% of the population) are living with diabetesDiabetes, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a medical condition in which your body either doesnҴ make enough of the hormone insulin (type 1 diabetes) or it canҴ use it as well as it should (type 2 diabetesInsulin plays a vital role in removing sugar from your blood and
getting it into your cells where it can be used for energy.If you are living with this condition, the CDC advises that one way you can manage your symptoms is by getting more exercise. Physical activity helps increase your sensitivity to insulin and lowers blood sugar. This, in turn, can help reduce your risk for associated nerve damage and heart diseaseNow, scientists at Brigham and Womenҳ Hospital and Joslin Diabetes Center have published new research in the journal Diabetes Care indicating that people with type 2 diabetes might see the most improvements in blood sugar control if they exercise in the afternoon rather than the morning or evening.Afternoon exercise may help with greater blood sugar controlThe study utilized data from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) studyThis study was a randomized controlled trial comparing how an intensive lifestyle intervention, along with support and education, might help prevent cardiovascular disease for type 2 diabetes patients who are also living with
obesity or overweightFor the current study, the researchers looked at how exercise at particular times of the day influenced blood sugar control.Altogether, they included 2,400 people, examining data from the first and fourth years of the Look AHEAD study.To determine the participantsҠlevel of physical activity, each person wore a waist accelerometry recording device.Upon review of the data, the team discovered that in the first year, people who had moderate-to-vigorous levels of activity in the afternoon has the largest reduction in blood sugar levels.This same group maintained the observed reduction in blood sugar levels in the fourth year.Further, those who were most active in the afternoon were most likely to have been able to stop taking their diabetes medications because of these improvements in blood sugar control.Why afternoon exercise is betterDr. Jingyi Qian, from the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at MassachusettsҠBrigham and Womenҳ Hospital, and co-corresponding author Dr. Roeland
Middelbeek, assistant investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center, told Healthline it is not yet clear why afternoon exercise might be better for type 2 diabetes.However, one common hypothesis is that the circadian system might play a role. Ӕhis circadian system regulates many physiological functions in our body, which may play a role in the time-specific benefits of physical activity,Ԡsaid Qian and Middlebeek.Another speculation is that behavioral factors נsuch as fasting/postprandial states or sleep-wake cycles נcould contribute to the observed benefits.ӆor example, post-meal physical activity, which may be occurring most often after lunch in the afternoon group, is an effective strategy for managing postprandial glucose excursions in type 2 diabetes,Ԡthe pair noted.Why exercise in general is good for helping manage diabetesWhile particular benefits were seen with afternoon exercise, the authors note that exercise any time of the day is helpful for people with type 2 diabetes. Not only can it improve blood
sugar readings; but, to some extent, it can also help manage weight, they say.Dr. Kathleen Dungan, Professor of Medicine and Interim Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at The Ohio State University, agrees, calling exercise Ӷitally importantԠfor people with diabetes.Ӆxercise can rapidly lower the glucose level Šby driving excess glucose into the skeletal muscle,Ԡshe explained, Ӎoreover the immediate effects of exercise can linger for many hours after completion of the activity.Ԅungan said that exercise is also linked to lower blood pressure and more favorable cholesterol levels, which may reduce your risk for cardiovascular events or death. And, as an added bonus, it can help improve your mood and your sense of well-being.How much to exercise for better diabetes controlAmanda Beaver, MS, RDN, LD, Wellness Dietitian at Houston Methodist Wellness Services, said that how much exercise you need will depend on the intensity of the exercise. But, for most people living with
diabetes, she said itҳ recommended to get 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week.Ӊn the fitness world, moderate-intensity exercise is when we can talk, but not sing (try it for yourself next time you exercise),Ԡshe suggested.She added that other great examples of moderate-intensity exercise include:dancingbrisk walkingcyclingswimmingӉt is not recommended to go more than two days in a row without exercise as it can increase insulin resistance,Ԡsaid Beaver. Ӕhis means exercise should be spread out over at least 3 days of the week.Ԃeaver added that one type of exercise that is often overlooked is resistance training, which is recommended to be done 2-3 times per week. Ӕhis does not necessarily have to be lifting weights in a gym,Ԡshe said, ӥven barre and Pilates work well for this.Ԡ Finally, Beaver advised that people with type 2 diabetes should keep an eye on how much time they spend sitting. Ӊt is recommended to stand up about every 30 minutes as some studies have shown this
can improve blood sugar control,Ԡshe concluded
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