Patients with Type 2 Diabetes should be prescribed physical activity to control their blood sugar and improve heart health, recommends a position paper from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, fatigue, and skin darkening in certain areas.
The paper provides practical recommendations for doctors on how to motivate patients to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine, set achievable goals to meet them.
Increasing cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and glycemic control are key clinical targets of exercise training programmes in patients with Type 2 Diabetes with cardiac co-morbidities, the paper recommends. It adds that patients should be evaluated for CRF to classify them according to their risk and optimal exercise prescription.