The children, their parents, and siblings had their body fat measured, their blood tested and they answered questions about their diet. The results showed that the adolescent and families tended to be obese, to eat a high-fat diet low in fiber, and to be inactive. None of the families had a regular exercise routine, and two families did not participate in any physical activity. The American Diabetes Association wants people to know that exercise is actually important no matter what type of diabetes they have. First, exercise can take some glucose out of the blood to use for energy during and after exercise, which lowers blood glucose levels.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of people with diabetes.
The association also says diabetics should exercise regardless of age. Barring another medical condition, people with diabetes can walk or bike, swim or hike for exercise. The association reminds people to ask their doctor if they should have any limits in their exercise program. Another recent study on diabetes and exercise found that one hour of brisk walking every day cuts a woman s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in half. The Nurses Health Study at Harvard of more than 70,000 women found that moderate to vigorous exercise from a variety of daily activities, such as walking to the bus stop, walking up several flights of stairs or doing housework, was associated with a 46 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.