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News
Exercise is a powerful weapon against type 2 diabetes, and a new large study shows younger adults benefit the most. Researchers found that adults who exercised more than the median amount had roughly half the diabetes risk of those who exercised less. Bonus: working out in the afternoon or evening offered even greater protection for younger adults than morning workouts.
A large study using UK Biobank data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting confirms that more moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) significantly lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The twist? Younger adults see a stronger relative benefit from exercise than their older counterparts — and the timing of that exercise matters too.
Researchers tracked nearly 88,000 adults over a median of 7.7 years and found that those who exercised less than the median amount were about twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. For younger adults (under 62.7 years), afternoon and evening workouts were linked to even lower diabetes risk compared to morning exercise — a benefit not seen in older adults.
Why it matters: While younger adults show stronger relative risk reductions, older adults carry a higher absolute burden of diabetes — meaning ramping up physical activity across all age groups remains a critical public health priority for diabetes prevention.
