Physical Activity And Incident Diabetes

The Study

In this interesting study, 7,280 subjects aged 17-84 from the Hispanic Community Health Study wore an accelerometer for a period of 7 days and were followed for incidence of diabetes for 6 years. An accelerometer effectively measures total physical activity. By the end of follow-up, subjects over 50 that exercised the most had a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to subjects exercising the least.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2020; 112:1318-27.  

Take Home Message

Diabetes is a terrible disease that ravages multiple systems of our body as it progresses. Prevention is key. Regular physical activity has a multitude of benefits. It reduces risk of not only diabetes, but heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimers disease. It helps to reduce stress, improve energy, sleep and mood and even improves your appearance. During these challenging times, cardiovascular exercise is even more important. Try to shoot for at least 150 minutes per week of cardio. It can be whatever you like; walking, biking, elliptical trainer, etc. It is a time commitment, but well worth the investment.