You may have seen headlines recently about exercise being the new wonder drug. If not you have probably seen adverts encouraging people to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. There are two reasons for this. The first is that so few people actually do any exercise. It is estimated that only a third of the adult population in the United States gets any regular exercise. The second is that exercise is an effective way to prevent and treat many diseases that have been increasing over the past 20 years. One such disease is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a disease whereby the body becomes resistant to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that reduces the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. When the body becomes resistant to insulin the blood sugar level gets high and this can lead to immediate and long term problems for the person.

Current research suggests that people that are obese have a higher risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. Thus as a form of preventative treatment exercise is a good strategy. For people that already have type 2 diabetes, exercise will help to keep the weight down and help to keep blood sugar levels lower. By keeping weight down a person will be more receptive to insulin. Exercise will also burn up more energy thus using the glucose that may have been ingested. This means that the blood sugar level will be lower.

The good news is that it is never too late to start exercising and once you start it is very easy and enjoyable. For people with type 2 diabetes the particular benefits of exercise are improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss and reduced risk to complications like heart disease.

The first thing to do of you plan to start exercising is to get checked out by your health care provider. They should test your overall health and suggest the types and duration of exercise to begin with. They will check the condition of the heart and may even do a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

The start of an exercise routine could be simply to go for a daily walk Walking is a low impact, low stress way to exercise. It will help to control weight and reduce blood sugar levels. It is also easy to do, to the extent that you may not feel like you are exercising. You could walk to the shops rather than drive the car. You could be the one to walk your pet dog every other day. You could walk up stairs rather than take the elevator. Look for ways that don't interfere with your life to begin with. Go for a walk during your lunch break. Walk to the train or bus station in the mornings. Every little bit helps.

As you become more comfortable with this level of exercise you can then increase the duration or intensity (again, check with your health carer when making this change). Think about riding a bike, swimming or playing a ball sport. As little as 30 minutes a day can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. An effective strategy to reduce this statistic is to take regular exercise.