When I was younger, exercising was much easier. I played sports and ran track in high school, and later I worked out in a gym, ran a par course on my lunch hour at work, and did a lot of speed walking. However, in recent years osteoarthritis in my knees made the walking difficult. I had a total knee replacement a couple of years ago, but I haven't had the other one done yet and it makes walking painful and running impossible.
About a year ago, I bought an exercise bike on Amazon.com, because I had used one when doing therapy after my knee replacement and found that it was a good aerobic workout without straining my knees. I try to spend half an hour on it about 3 to 4 times a week. The nice thing about it is that I can exercise no matter whether it's 100 degrees out or snowing, and I can read or watch TV while doing so. The bike I have is the recumbent kind with a chair-like seat instead of a bicycle saddle, which is much more comfortable. After my aerobic session on the bike, I do about 45 minutes of stretching and strengthening exercises to keep my artificial knee limber and the other one functioning.
Exercise improves the blood flow to the extremities and can slow the progression of neuropathy that often accompanies diabetes. It also strengthens the heart and improves lung function. The important thing is to find an exercise routine that fits with your lifestyle and physical limitations.
By gearing my exercise routine to my situation, I find that I am more diligent in fitting it into my schedule.