Exercise and glycemic control in diabetes: benefits, challenges, and adjustments to pharmacotherapy.

Exercise, along with dietary intervention, represents first-line therapy for diabetes mellitus. Aerobic exercise is recommended for its beneficial effects on glucose control as well as its abilities to retard the progression of other comorbidities common in patients with diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease. The capability of aerobic exercise to improve glycemic control in diabetes is well documented, although adherence to exercise regimens is problematic.