Managing Type 2 Diabetes With Exercise: What New Research Says

Managing type 2 diabetes is a daily reality for a large share of adults in Saudi Arabia, where the International Diabetes Federation ranks the country among the highest in the world for diabetes. A new clinical guideline from the Chinese Society of Endocrinology, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science in 2026, adds fresh weight to something you can start on your own terms: the right kind of regular movement is one of the most reliable ways to help keep blood sugar in check. Here is what the research actually says, how much you need, and the checks that come first.

What the new guideline says about exercise for type 2 diabetes

The guideline is written for adults living with type 2 diabetes, and its headline number is easy to remember. It recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming, or 75 to 150 minutes a week of more vigorous exercise, or a combination of the two. That works out to roughly half an hour on most days, and you can split it into shorter blocks if one long session does not fit your day.

The American Diabetes Association arrives at the same place from its own research, recommending 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week for people with type 2 diabetes. When two separate expert bodies land on the same target, it is a strong sign the number is worth trusting.

How movement helps your blood sugar control

Exercise is not only about burning energy. According to the American Diabetes Association, regular aerobic exercise improves blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes and has been shown to lower HbA1c, a marker of average blood sugar over about three months, by around half a percentage point. That is a meaningful shift for a habit that costs nothing but time and effort.

There is a bonus for people who pair their cardio with strength work. The same association reports that combining aerobic exercise with resistance training tends to improve HbA1c more than either type of exercise does on its own. And it is not only about structured workouts, because breaking up long stretches of sitting with a few minutes of light activity, for example a short walk after every half hour at a desk, can also help with blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.

The four kinds of movement to build in

The guideline encourages people who are able to combine four kinds of movement rather than leaning on just one. You do not need all of them every day, but across a week a good plan touches each one:

• Aerobic: brisk walking, cycling, swimming or a cardio class that gets your heart rate up.
• Resistance: working the major muscle groups with weights, machines or bodyweight moves.
• Flexibility: stretching and mobility work that keeps your joints moving freely.
• Balance: simple stability work, which matters more as we get older.

If you are not sure how to put this together, our exercise library breaks the moves down step by step, and a session or two with one of our personal trainers can turn the guideline into a plan that fits your level. For the aerobic side, a HIIT workout is an efficient way to bank vigorous minutes when time is short.

Start with safety, not intensity

Because this is about a health condition, the guideline is clear that safety comes first. It advises a check with your doctor before you start or step up a programme, including a look at your heart health and, for people with diabetes, an examination of the feet, which can be more prone to problems. The advice is to build activity up gradually rather than throwing yourself into hard sessions, and to shape the plan around your own frequency, intensity, type and timing. None of this replaces medical care, and it is not treatment advice. It is simply the movement side of a plan your own care team should sign off on.

Turn the research into a routine at GymNation

The best exercise for managing type 2 diabetes is the kind you will actually keep doing, and that is easier in a place built for it. With air conditioned floors, group energy and coaches on hand, you can find your nearest GymNation in Riyadh and build the weekly aerobic and strength habit the research points to, at whatever pace your doctor has cleared. Ready to get started? Fill in the enquiry form and the GymNation team will take it from there.

Sources:
sciencedirect.com
diabetesjournals.org
diabetesatlas.org

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.