Moderate exercise may save your life if you suffer from diabetes type 2

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 27 Jul 2004 - 0:00 PDT


According to a new study carried out in Finland, moderate exercise can save your life if you suffer from diabetes. The researchers say such activities as walking to work, or even cycling can help keep diabetic people alive.

This does not mean more active exercise does not help, it does - and quite a lot, too.

Dr. Jaakko Tuomilehto, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, said "Regular physical activity should be part of standard treatment for diabetic patients. People with diabetes need to look for ways to build activity into their work, their commuting to and from work and also their leisure time. Physical activity during commuting is one of the easiest, least-time consuming ways to promote health."

Dr. Tuomilehto and colleagues tried to find out what the ideal type of exercise was for diabetics, and how much they should do in order to get benefit.

Dr. Tuomilehto added "We know that type-2 diabetes can be prevented or at least postponed by physical activity and a healthy diet, but too often people think only of leisure-time physical training or other aerobic activities."

You can read about this study in the journal Circulation.

The scientists looked at data on 3,316 diabetes 2 patients. They were all aged 25-74. The data included surveys the patients had completed. The surveys looked at their health and leisure habits.

These definitions were made:

Light Communing
Using motorized transport

Moderate Commuting
Walking or going by bicycle

Active Commuting
30+ minutes per day cycling or walking

Light Leisure
Reading
Watching TV

Moderate Leisure
4+ hours per week walking
4+ hours per week cycling
4+ hours per week gardening

Cardiovascular deaths went down by 9% after regular moderate activity. Active activity brought cardiovascular deaths (and stroke deaths) down by 40%.

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