Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D Responds:

Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, of Tufts University and the best-selling author of the Strong Women book series, responds: Exercise is critical for preventing, delaying, and controlling diabetes. Diabetes develops when your body can't make or properly use insulin, a naturally produced hormone. Insulin is made in your pancreas and helps your body's cells take in glucose from your bloodstream. Diabetes is diagnosed when glucose builds up in your blood. Regular exercise may help prevent or manage diabetes in a number of ways. 1. It makes it easier to maintain a healthy body weight. 2. It may lower overall blood glucose because your muscles use much of the glucose that your body produces. This is important, because high blood glucose can harm your organs and raise your risk of heart disease. 3. It may decrease insulin resistance.