If you live with type 2 diabetes, blood-sugar management is central to overall health. Whether or not medication is part of care, it helps to approach management from all angles, including diet and lifestyle changes. That includes exercise and new research points to two accessible options that can support your goals: yoga and walking.
That’s the takeaway from a pilot study published in Cureus. Researchers recruited 20 adults with type 2 diabetes and divided them into four activity groups: those who practised yoga, those who walked, those who combined yoga and walking and a control group asked to make no changes. Each participant took an oral glucose-lowering medicine; people using insulin were excluded.
Participants followed their assigned activities for three months while investigators tracked fasting blood glucose, post-meal glucose, quality of life and HbA1c—a measure of average blood glucose over the previous two to three months.
The scientists found that the yoga and walking groups recorded significant reductions in fasting glucose, while the yoga group also improved post-meal glucose. All three activity groups—yoga, walking and the combination—saw meaningful declines in HbA1c over time, with the combined yoga-plus-walking group showing the strongest overall improvement in glycaemic control.
Walking and yoga were also linked with better quality of life. Overall, the combination group delivered the “most substantial improvements” across outcomes.
Whether living with type 2 diabetes or simply aiming for steadier blood glucose, it’s reasonable to ask how this works. Movement is not a replacement for medicines when needed, yet these findings suggest it can help increase time in range as part of a comprehensive plan. Here’s what doctors want you to know.
Why might walking and yoga support blood sugar management?
Note: this was a pilot study, so findings are preliminary and designed to guide larger trials. Still, previous research links both yoga and walking with lower glucose.
A 2022 review in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine pooled 28 trials in people with type 2 diabetes and found that adding a mind-body practice such as yoga to usual medication was associated with lower glucose and about a 1% drop in HbA1c. A 2025 analysis of 407 patients reported a significant fall in glucose for those doing yoga with naturopathy compared with usual care.
Walking has strong support too. A 2022 study in Sports Medicine found that two to five minutes of walking after meals reduced post-meal glucose. A 2023 study linked brisk walking with lower fasting glucose.
“In general, exercise helps lower glucose,” says medical director Dr B. Gisella Carranza Leon. “When you exercise, your muscles need energy. The easiest fuel is to use glucose from your blood.” Using that circulating glucose lowers levels quickly, Dr Leon explains. “Also, exercise makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which helps move glucose from the blood into the cells.”
While yoga and walking are helpful, “it’s most likely that any form of exercise will do this,” addsf amily medicine physician Dr David Cutler.
Dr Leon advises aiming for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. “Moderate activity means you can talk but not sing during the activity,” she says. “Include resistance exercise two to three times a week.”
Other ways to lower blood sugar levels
While exercise supports blood-sugar management, Dr Cutler stresses it’s not the only lever to pull. He points to maintaining a healthy weight and choosing foods lower on the glycaemic index so carbohydrates don’t rapidly convert to sugar in the body, particularly for those not on supplemental insulin.
Dr Leon suggests eating balanced meals that include protein, healthy fats and some complex carbohydrates. “Choose high-fibre foods and limit added sugars and refined carbohydrates,” she says.
Blood-sugar control is multi-factor. “It’s not just one thing,” Dr Cutler says. “You can’t ignore one area of this.”
If blood sugar isn’t within the desired range, speak with a GP or healthcare provider for personalised advice and an adjusted care plan.
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