Exercise in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Integrated Diabetes and Endocrine Academy Consensus Statement for Indian Patients

Abstract

Exercise is one of the pillars of diabetes management. Current guidelines provide a general recommendation regarding exercise advice for patients with diabetes, but guidance regarding exercise suited for Indian patients is scarce. We aim to arrive at exercise recommendations for patients with type 2 diabetes incorporating the latest modalities of exercise along with consideration of Indian patients. We conducted an extensive search using the PubMed electronic database and Google Scholar until February 1, 2024. The retrieved literature was then meticulously deliberated upon by the panel members to arrive at appropriate recommendations. The various guidelines and literature recovered have advised exercise regimes for type 2 diabetes, but have not always covered all the aspects of exercise, including timing of exercise, exercising in the presence of associated comorbidities such as diabetic foot, neuropathy, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, elderly, and pregnancy with diabetes in one complete recommendation. Furthermore, advice regarding soleus exercise has not been incorporated in any recommendation. Moreover, advice specifically for Indian patients with type 2 diabetes was lacking. This recommendation incorporates the latest in exercise modalities for patients with type 2 diabetes, including patients with major macrovascular and microvascular problems, with specific advice for each complication which will serve as a guide for physicians when they advise patients regarding exercise.