Effect of treadmill ambulatory training on glucose control and blood pressure in persons with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Lack of time is often cited by persons with type 2 diabetes for non-participation in regular exercise. This highlights the need to explores ways to help persons with type 2 diabetes to engage in an active lifestyle. This study evaluated the effect of a short duration norm intensity exercise on blood glucose and blood pressure in persons with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Twenty persons with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either training group (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). The training group received 4-weeks ambulatory training on a motor-driven treadmill (2 x 20 min per week at 60% target heart rate). The control group received no training. Blood glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were assessed before and after the 4-weeks training. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to examine training effect. RESULTS: Training significantly improved blood glucose (mean difference = -2.73; p = 0.03). No effects were found for systolic blood pressure (mean difference = -0.30; p = 0.96) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference = -0.90; p = 0.82). CONCLUSION: Training improved blood glucose but not blood pressure. A short-duration ambulatory training is an appropriate exercise mode to elicit beneficial effect, and exercise adoption in persons with type 2 diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This pilot trial is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry at pactr.samrc.ac.za (PACTR202306601940612).

Associations between physical activity patterns and quality of life in persons with type 2 diabetes: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is a major health problem globally and particularly in Ghana. Regular physical activity is important in the management of type 2 diabetes and in improving quality of life of persons with type 2 diabetes. However, there is a lack of data reporting on how physical activity relate to quality of life in persons with diabetes in Ghana. This study explored how physical activity patterns relate to quality of life in persons with type 2 diabetes from a major tertiary hospital in Ghana. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one (121) persons with type 2 diabetes (age, 30-60 years) filled in questionnaires on their physical activity patterns (time spent in sitting, walking, moderate-intensity activities, and vigorous-intensity activities) and quality of life (diabetes control, anxiety and worry, social burden, sexual functioning, energy and mobility). The relationships between the variables were examined using spearman correlation. RESULTS: Time spent in sitting, walking, moderate-intensity activities and vigorous-intensity activities were 1677.7±401.5min, 464.1±296.0MET-min, 241.2±65.8MET-min and 1956.5±1251.0MET-min respectively. Walking was negatively related to energy and mobility (r = -.48, p<0.01), sexual functioning (r = -0.44, p<0.01), social burden (r = -0.41, p<0.01) and diabetes control (r = -0.56, p<0.01) domains of quality of life. Vigorous-intensity activities was negatively related to anxiety and worry (r = -0.20, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggests that persons with type 2 diabetes who experience decline in energy and mobility, sexual functioning, and disease management, and heightened social burden, anxiety and worry may benefit from guidance on optimal physical activity behaviour in the form of walking to improve their quality of life.