A structured exercise program including resistance training and/or aerobic exercise could help improve the blood sugar levels of people with diabetes.

Daniel Umpierre led a group of scientists from the Hospital de Clinica de Porto Alegre in Brazil to look at the effects of 12-week long structured exercise programs on lowering HbA1c. They also studied whether or not advice on physical activity alone or when paired with counseling in nutrition had any effect on HbA1c.

“Exercise is a cornerstone of diabetes management, along with dietary and pharmacological interventions”, said the study, which was published on May 3 in the journal of the American Medical Association. “Current guidelines recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes should perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and should perform resistance exercise three times per week”.

The scientists didn’t analyze the results until they examined the data of 8,538 people.

Their research found that having a structured exercise routine of 150 minutes or more per week was associated with an overall average HbA1c of 0.89%. However, those who only exercised 150 minutes or less in a week saw an HbA1c reduction of -0.36%.

In addition, the researchers reported that a 12 week schedule of aerobic and resistance exercise was associated with improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.