While many of us already engage in aerobic exercise to help control our blood sugar levels, a new study has shown that for type 2 diabetics, this type of exercise might not be enough. The study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association examined the benefits of aerobic trainingalone, resistance training alone, and a combination of bothon hemoglobin A1cin individuals with type 2 diabetes.
The study followed 262 sedentary men and women in Louisiana withtype 2 diabetes and HbA1c levels of 6.5% or higher, who were enrolledin the 9-month exercise program between April 2007 and August2009. The participants were randomly divided into four groups — 73 assigned to resistance training three days a week, 72 to aerobic exercise, 76 to the combination and 41 to a non-exercise comparison group.
The results concluded that among patients with type 2 diabetes,a combination of aerobic and resistance training compared withthe nonexercise control group improved HbA1c levels. This wasnot achieved by aerobic or resistance training alone.
*You should consult with your health care provider before making any changes in your exercise routine.
