150 minutes lowers A1C
- A prediabetes guide recommends aiming for 150 minutes of exercise per week. (myglu.org) - MyGlu says that level of activity can help lower A1C by about 1 percentage point. (myglu.org) - The guidance points to a practical, measurable weekly target for people working to reduce diabetes risk. (myglu.org)
A1C is a three-month blood sugar average, and one prediabetes guide says a simple weekly target can move it: 150 minutes of exercise. (myglu.org) MyGlu says most adults with prediabetes should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, plus two to three strength-training sessions. The guide says that amount of regular activity can lower A1C by about 0.5 to 1.0 percentage point in roughly three months. (myglu.org) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses the same 150-minute benchmark for people with prediabetes and translates it into 30 minutes a day, five days a week, of brisk walking or a similar activity. The agency also pairs exercise with a 5% to 7% weight-loss goal for people who have overweight. (cdc.gov) That target comes from the Diabetes Prevention Program, a large National Institutes of Health-funded trial that set two main lifestyle goals: at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week and at least 7% weight loss. The study’s lifestyle arm cut the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58% after an average follow-up of 2.8 years. (diabetesjournals.org, nih.gov) The American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Standards of Care continue to place physical activity inside routine diabetes and prediabetes management. The group’s public fitness guidance says 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise improves blood glucose control and lowers cardiovascular risk compared with being sedentary. (professional.diabetes.org, diabetes.org) Prediabetes means blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range, and many people do not know they have it. A 2024 review in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine said only 19% of U.S. adults with prediabetes are aware of their condition. (cdc.gov, nih.gov) The practical point in the 150-minute goal is that it turns prevention into a number people can count: five half-hour walks, or the equivalent, each week. Federal and diabetes-group guidance already use that same number, so the MyGlu advice lands on familiar clinical ground rather than a new threshold. (cdc.gov, diabetes.org, myglu.org) For people trying to avoid type 2 diabetes, the message is less about training hard than training consistently. The evidence base behind the 150-minute benchmark has been in place since the original prevention trial and is still reflected in 2026 guidance. (diabetesjournals.org, professional.diabetes.org, myglu.org)
