Guidelines for exercise prescription in patients with type 2 diabetes, issued by several scientific organisations
| Organisation | Type | Mode | Duration | Intensity | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACSM and ADA12 | Aerobic | Any form that uses large muscle groups (eg, brisk walking) | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate to vigorous | At least 3 days/week with no more than 2 consecutive days without exercising | |
| Resistance | Resistance machines and free weights involving major muscle groups | 1–4 sets 8–15 repetitions 5–10 exercises on each session | Moderate to vigorous | At least twice weekly on non-consecutive days | ||
| Flexibility | Included as part of a physical activity programme; it should not substitute other types of exercise | |||||
| FDS20 | Aerobic | Minimum of 150 min/week | At least moderate | At least 3 days/week with no more than two consecutive days without exercising | ||
| Resistance | Exercises involving major muscle groups | 3 sets 8–10 repetitions 5–10 exercises on each session | Moderate to vigorous | At least twice weekly on non-consecutive days | ||
| BPTA13 | Aerobic | Minimum of 150 min/week | Low to moderate | 3–5 days/week | ||
| Resistance | 3 sets 10–15 repetitions 5–10 exercises on each session | Moderate | Combined with aerobic exercise | |||
| ESSA15 | Aerobic | Large muscle activities (eg, walking, running, cycling and swimming) | Minimum of 150 min/week OR | Moderate | No more than two consecutive days without exercising | |
| Minimum of 90 min/week | Vigorous | |||||
| Resistance | Multi joint exercises involving large muscle groups | 2–4 sets 8–10 repetitions 8–10 exercises on each session | 60 min/week OR | Moderate | Two or more sessions per week | |
| 35 min/week | Vigorous | |||||
| CDA19 | Aerobic | Large muscle activities (eg, biking, brisk walking and continuous swimming) | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate to vigorous | At least 3 days/week with no more than two consecutive days without exercising | |
| Resistance | Resistance machines or free weights | 3 sets 8 repetitions | Moderate to vigorous | At least twice weekly | ||
| AHA14 | Aerobic | Large-muscle activities | Minimum of 150 min/week OR | Moderate | 3–7 days/week | |
| Minimum of 90 min/week | Vigorous | 3 days/week | ||||
| Resistance | Multi joint exercises; large-muscle groups | 2–4 sets 8–10 repetitions Exercises for all muscle groups on each session | Moderate to vigorous | 3 days/week | ||
| ADA16 | Aerobic | For example, walking | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate | At least 3 days/week with no more than two consecutive days without exercising | |
| Resistance | Free weights or weight machines involving large muscle groups | At least 1 set 5 or more different exercises on each session | At least twice per week | |||
| SNIPH18 | Aerobic | For example, brisk walking, cycling | Minimum of 30 min | Moderate | Daily | |
| For example, tennis, swimming | 20–60 min | Vigorous | 3–5 days/week | |||
| Resistance | Bodyweight, elastic bands, free weights or weight machines | 8–12 repetitions of each exercise 8–10 exercises on each session | 2–3 days/week | |||
| Flexibility | 5–10 min at the end of aerobic and resistance exercise sessions | |||||
| IDF2 | Aerobic | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate | 3–5 days/week | ||
| Resistance | 3 days/week | |||||
| ADA and EASD17 | Aerobic | |||||
| Resistance | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate | ||||
| Flexibility | ||||||
| ESC and EASD3 | Aerobic | Minimum of 150 min/week | Moderate to vigorous | |||
| Resistance | ||||||
ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine; ADA, American Diabetes Association; AHA, American Heart Association; BPTA, Belgian Physical Therapy Association; CDA, Canadian Diabetes Association; EASD, European Association for the Study of Diabetes; ESC, European Society of Cardiology; ESSA, Exercise and Sports Science Australia; FDS, Francophone Diabetes Society; IDF, International Diabetes Federation; SNIPH, Swedish National Institute of Public Health.