If the recommended levels of exercise cannot be achieved, patients should still be encouraged to achieve what they can. This will still result in health benefits. Given the close association with T2DM and obesity, the accumulation of ≥250 min per week is recommended for overweight patients if weight loss is also a goal as this volume of exercise is considered necessary for significant weight reduction.49
Outside of the prescription for weight loss, the frequency of exercise for patients with T2DM or pre-diabetes should be designed to maximise the acute benefits of an exercise bout. Given that increases in insulin sensitivity declines markedly by 48 h post exercise,50 scheduling sessions at this interval will maintain this increase over time. It is therefore recommended that there be no more than 2 consecutive days without training.