In sedentary adults with prediabetes, a specific form of short, intense exercise performed three times per week for twelve weeks increases the body's ability to respond to insulin in muscle and fat tissue, improving glucose control.

In people with prediabetes, combining short bursts of intense exercise with walking leads to higher levels of specific muscle proteins involved in energy production and sugar uptake compared to doing either type of exercise by itself.

Doing light, steady exercise like walking or slow cycling doesn’t seem to change blood sugar levels much in healthy adults who don’t usually exercise.

For adults with prediabetes, exercising at 70% of their maximum heart rate helps blood insulin levels return to fasting levels more quickly after eating, which suggests the body is using insulin more efficiently.

Lifting weights regularly might help your body use insulin better, which can be good for your overall health.

If obese adults with type 2 diabetes do 12 weeks of guided cardio workouts like walking or cycling, their bodies get better at using insulin to manage blood sugar.