How Exercise Affects Your Blood Sugar — and Why It Matters

If you've recently been told your blood sugar is elevated, or you're living with type 2 diabetes and wondering what else you can do to support your health, you're not alone. Blood sugar management is one of the most common conversations we have at CardioCare — and exercise is consistently one of the most powerful tools in the picture.

Here's what the research shows, and what it means for you practically.

Understanding blood sugar and why it matters

Blood sugar, or blood glucose, refers to the amount of glucose circulating in your bloodstream. After eating, blood glucose rises — and in a healthy body, insulin is released to help cells absorb that glucose for energy.

In people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, this process doesn't work as efficiently. Either the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or cells have become resistant to its effects — meaning glucose stays in the bloodstream longer than it should.

Over time, persistently elevated blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney complications. This is why blood sugar management matters well beyond how you feel day to day.

So what does exercise actually do to blood sugar?

Research consistently shows that regular exercise can meaningfully improve how the body manages blood sugar — both in the short term during and after a session, and over the longer term with consistent training.

This includes:

• Reducing HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar over three months) by 0.5–1%

• Improving insulin sensitivity for up to 24–48 hours after a single session

• Supporting healthy body composition, which further improves metabolic health

• Reducing cardiovascular risk, which is particularly important given the link between diabetes and heart disease

What types of exercise are most effective?

Both aerobic and resistance exercise have independent benefits for blood sugar control — and combining the two produces the best results.

Aerobic exercise — walking, cycling, swimming, rowing — helps muscles use glucose during the session and improves insulin sensitivity afterward. Even a 10–15 minute walk after meals has been shown to meaningfully reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Resistance training — weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises — builds muscle mass, and more muscle means more capacity to absorb and store glucose. Over time this has a significant impact on metabolic health and blood sugar regulation.

The combination of both, done consistently, is where the evidence is strongest.

How much exercise do you need?

Australian guidelines recommend at least 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, plus resistance training at least twice weekly. For blood sugar management specifically, spreading activity across the week — rather than concentrating it in a few long sessions — tends to produce better results.

Importantly, reducing prolonged sitting is also beneficial. Breaking up long periods of sitting with short movement breaks — even just standing or walking for a few minutes every hour — can help regulate blood sugar throughout the day. Research has also shown that seated calf raises, which activate the soleus muscle in the lower leg, can have a surprisingly significant effect on blood sugar regulation during prolonged sitting — making them a simple, discreet option for people who spend a lot of time at a desk.

What about prediabetes?

Pre-diabetes is worth taking seriously — but it's also an important window of opportunity. Research shows that lifestyle changes, including structured exercise, can significantly reduce the likelihood of pre-diabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes.

The earlier structured support begins, the more impact it can have.

What to consider before you start

If you have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, it's worth speaking with your GP before significantly increasing your exercise intensity. There are some important considerations — including how exercise interacts with certain medications, and how to monitor your blood sugar around activity.

Diet also plays a central role in blood sugar management and is worth discussing with a dietitian or your GP alongside your exercise program. Exercise and nutrition work best together, and a coordinated approach tends to produce the best outcomes.

This is where working with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist can be particularly valuable.

When to seek professional guidance

An exercise physiologist specialises in designing safe, effective exercise programs for people with chronic health conditions — including type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk factors.

Rather than a generic program, sessions are built around your individual health history, medications, blood sugar patterns and goals. At CardioCare Clinic, we work collaboratively with your broader healthcare team to ensure your exercise program complements your overall care plan.

In-clinic sessions are available at our Bondi Junction clinic in Sydney, with telehealth appointments available Australia-wide for those unable to attend in person.

The bottom line

Exercise is one of the best evidence-based tools available for managing blood sugar — in both type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. The right program, done consistently, can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce HbA1c and meaningfully lower cardiovascular risk.