Regular exercise can help you lose weight and increase insulin sensitivity.Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells are better able to use the available sugar in your bloodstream.
Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction.
If you have problems with blood sugar control, you should routinely check your levels. This will help you learn how you respond to different activities and keep your blood sugar levels from getting either too high or too low (2).
Good forms of exercise include weight lifting, brisk walking, running, biking, dancing, hiking, swimming and more. Aerobic exercise makes your heart and bones strong, relieves stress and improves blood circulation. It also lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke by keeping your blood glucose.
Diabetes and heart disease share many of the same risk factors, such as having high cholesterol, being overweight, not exercising and smoking.
BOTTOM LINE: Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps your muscles pick up sugars from the blood. This can lead to reduced blood sugar levels.