Regular exercise is important for everyone—but it is especially important if you have diabetes. Regular exercise helps control the amount of sugar in the blood and increases levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. It also burns excess calories and fat to help you achieve optimal weight. Keeping a healthy weight is an important part of taking care of your diabetes.
Access a healthy-living resource center
You can learn more about fitness activities by reading this page—and also by registering for a free resource center. When you join, you’ll gain practical, everyday knowledge to help you manage type 2 diabetes. For instance, you’ll be able to:
It is important to work with your health care provider to create an exercise program that is right for you.
Below are some good places to start.
If you are already registered, you can access all 3 sections. If not, please sign up now so you can determine your body mass index and see how many calories you burn during various physical activities.
Here are some good places to start:
The benefits of exercise
Exercise in any form can be pretty powerful—that’s what Australian researchers found when they reviewed 14 studies involving 377 participants with type 2 diabetes. No matter how long, how often, or how hard participants worked out, their blood sugar control improved. Overall, any amount of exercise improved A1C levels an average of 30%. It also burned fat and reduced levels of heart-damaging triglycerides.
Exercise doesn't necessarily mean spending hours at the gym or running for miles. It can mean many kinds of physical activity. Choose an activity that you enjoy, or try a new activity! You’ll find that a commitment to get going—to get more active, step by step—can result in great rewards when you stick to it.
Activities may include:
Do some physical activity each day. If you haven't been very active lately, talk to your health care provider first, and then begin slowly. Start with 5 to 10 minutes and then add more time, or exercise for 10 minutes 3 times a day. Want some ideas? Read about 30 easy ways to get 30 minutes of exercise a day in our “Fitness Tips” article.
It is important to work with your health care provider to create an exercise program that is right for you.
JANUVIA (jah-NEW-vee-ah) is a once-daily prescription pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
JANUVIA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or with diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine). If you have had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), it is not known if you have a higher chance of getting it while taking JANUVIA.
Selected Risk Information About JANUVIA
Serious side effects can happen in people who take JANUVIA, including pancreatitis, which may be severe and lead to death. Before you start taking JANUVIA, tell your doctor if you've ever had pancreatitis. Stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe and will not go away. The pain may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.
Do not take JANUVIA if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, including sitagliptin. Symptoms of serious allergic reactions to JANUVIA, including rash, hives, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat that may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing, can occur. If you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away.
If you take JANUVIA with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as a sulfonylurea or insulin, your risk of getting low blood sugar is higher. The dose of your sulfonylurea medicine or insulin may need to be lowered while you use JANUVIA. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, confusion, irritability, hunger, fast heart beat, sweating, and feeling jittery.
Your doctor may do blood tests before and during treatment with JANUVIA to see how well your kidneys are working. Based on these results, your doctor may change your dose of JANUVIA. The most common side effects of JANUVIA are upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, and headache.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please read the Medication Guide and discuss it with your doctor. Also available is the Prescribing Information.
JANUVIA is a registered trademark and Steps to Balance is a trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.
This site is intended only for residents of the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico.
21050935(8)-06/10-JAN
PRIVACY POLICY