Staying healthy with type 2 diabetes

Exercise

Exercise can include all types of physical activity and moving more, has lots of benefits for your overall health. It’s also a way to manage your type 2 diabetes.

• It helps your body use insulin better.
• It helps you look after your blood pressure. High blood pressure means you’re more at risk of diabetes complications.
• It helps you to improve your cholesterol.
• It helps you maintain a healthy weight after you’ve lost it.
• It gives you energy and to get a good night’s sleep.
• It helps your joints and flexibility.
• It helps your mood, exercise releases “happy hormones” called endorphins.
• It helps to reduce stress levels.
• It helps you to improve your HbA1c levels.

Even moving a little more makes a big difference. Walking could be the best for you as you can do it anywhere, any time and it’s free.

A little activity after eating meals helps you to digest the food quicker and helps with stabilising your blood sugars. Even just cleaning your dishes can have a positive impact.

You can see local activities for Doncaster. Fit Rovers offer a range of activity courses you may want to consider.

Moving more can help you lower your blood sugar levels long term. This is because when your muscles move, they use up sugar, also known as glucose in the blood, bringing your blood sugar levels down.

See additional information and resources on exercise via Diabetes UK.

Get Doncaster Moving offer some active guides.

Healthy eating

Healthy eating can help maintain your diabetes and with the right support there are some things that you can change, but others you can’t.

Learn more on all aspects of healthy eating.

Stop smoking

If you’re a smoker with Diabetes giving up the habit is one of the most positive things you can do to improve your health and reduce your risks of long-term complications.

Learn about help for giving up smoking.

You can also self-refer using to the NHS Stop Smoking Service.

Alcohol and diabetes

It can be harmful to drink alcohol to excess. It can impact negatively on your diabetes management, your weight and general health.

The recommendation is to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week and to have at least 2 days alcohol free per week.

If you drink alcohol whilst taking certain medications for your diabetes such as Gliclazide, Glimepiride or insulin, it can cause life threatening low blood glucose levels particularly in the night (hypos) and it can reduce your awareness and warning signs that the blood sugar level is dropping too low.

Learn more about alcohol and diabetes with Diabetes UK or more about alcohol with drink aware.

See how much you are drinking by calculating your alcohol units.

Foot care

The podiatry foot protection service in Doncaster (Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust) has some helpful and useful information on. This includes advice videos from the podiatry service.

Diabetes UK also has a helpful guide “Diabetes and looking after your feet” which is available on their website to download or order a free copy. The guide provides information on:

• why you are at risk
• how to check your feet
• your annual foot check
• signs of a serious foot problem
• reducing your risk of a serious foot problem

Learn more about looking after your feet with diabetes.

When to access care

Keep your regular appointments that are planned by your doctor or nurse.

Page last reviewed: July 08, 2026
Next review due: July 08, 2027