Inside a GP-led six-week exercise plan to beat diabetes

As GPs, we're on the front line of managing chronic conditions like diabetes, often seeking to find a balance between prescribing medication and lifestyle improvements. At Robin Hood Lane Health Centre, we've begun an exciting journey of integrating physical activity into our primary care approach for high-risk diabetic patients. 

Our six-week Diabetic Strength Exercise Course is enabling patients to manage their diabetes more effectively and improve outcomes - and is ultimately changing lives. 

The Diabetic Strength Exercise Course initiative

The Diabetic Strength Exercise Course focuses on the significant impact that even modest increases in physical activity can have on health, particularly for those who are least active.

The idea for the initiative came from a striking statistic: just 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly can add three and a half years to life expectancy. With 28.6% of adults in Sutton physically inactive and 62.8% overweight or obese, we knew we had to act.

So, we partnered with Sutton Council and Sutton College to design a free, accessible programme targeting our highest-risk diabetic patients.

The importance of physical activity and muscle health

Our course, which combines diabetes management and muscle health, isn't your typical gym session. It's a carefully crafted, low-impact programme adaptable for all abilities. We focus on patients with high BMI and elevated HbA1c levels, offering them exercise, education, encouragement, and a supportive community. The results are transformative.

Increasing activity from 0 to just 10 MET-h/wk (equivalent to about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise) can add approximately three and a half years of life expectancy after 40, according to physical activity research by ResearchGate. 

The programme also addresses sarcopenia, an often overlooked critical health issue. Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass that affects strength, activity levels and quality of life. It is characterised by frailty, loss of physical function, and the ability to perform daily activities.

Between the ages of 30 and 60, the average adult loses about 250g of muscle each year. By age 70, this muscle loss accelerates to about 15% of body mass per decade, contributing to mobility issues, osteoporosis, falls, and fractures.

The impact of integrating movement into primary care for diabetes patients

Our patients say, "It helped me control my diabetes better," and, "I learned exercises I can easily do at home." This feedback represents real changes in health outcomes and quality of life.

We saw improvements in mobility, diabetes control, and overall wellbeing. Perhaps most importantly, we saw a shift in mindset from viewing exercise as a chore to a tool for managing health.

This programme is just one aspect of our broader mission to make Robin Hood Lane an Active Practice to treat illness and promote wellness. From exercise videos in waiting rooms to free gym passes, we're creating an ecosystem of movement.

Advice for fellow GPs

If you're considering a similar programme, start small but think big. Partner with local organisations, tailor your approach to local needs, and lead by example - as GPs, our own enthusiasm for movement can be contagious.

Tips for setting up your own diabetes programme

1. Accessibility is key. By removing financial barriers and offering adaptable exercises, we've reached patients who might otherwise never step into a gym.
2. Community matters. The group setting provides motivation and peer support.
3. Education empowers. Teaching patients why and how to exercise is as important as the exercise itself.

Looking ahead

We're not stopping here. Plans are underway to expand the programme, targeting other health conditions and even care homes. We're also developing low-calorie, low-cost recipe cards to complement the exercise programme.

In a world where lifestyle-related diseases are on the rise, integrating movement into primary care isn't just an option, it's a necessity. As GPs, we have the power to prescribe not just pills, but also squats, stretches, and steps.