A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can be a strong motivator of health behaviour change and provides a key opportunity for reducing sedentary behaviour and for prescribing physical activity that is carefully tailored to an individual patient.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise steadily in Australia and worldwide, with obesity and physical inactivity being key drivers of the increase. The American Diabetes Association currently recommends treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes to achieve optimal blood glucose (HbA1c less than 53 mmol/mol [7%]), lipid and blood pressure levels. These treatment goals are typically approached with a combination of medication, dietary modification and exercise. Although medication and dietary modification are generally understood by patients and health practitioners, a specific exercise prescription, and its potential clinical responses and benefits, may be less well understood and thus not fully exploited.