Exercise: Part I. Physiological response to exercise in diabetes mellitus.

Exercise is a valuable and effective tool for assisting with diabetes management. The benefits of exercise are significant. Metabolic responses to various workloads vary greatly and depend on many factors, including type of diabetes; time, dosage, and type of diabetes medication; time and content of last meal; fitness level; and intensity and duration of activity performed. Exercise-induced hypo- and hyperglycemia can occur in diabetes, and strategies to avoid this should be taught. Weight loss is a common goal in NIDDM, although often difficult to attain. Exercise plays a critical role in weight loss and should be considered part of the treatment plan when fat loss is a goal.