When people hear “exercise for diabetes”, they often picture gyms, hard running or strict routines. For many older adults, especially those with pain, breathlessness or balance worries, this does not feel realistic – and it can even put them off moving at all.

Our Zoom exercise sessions are designed to be gentle, joint-friendly and adjustable. You can sit or stand, follow at your own pace and rest whenever you need. The goal is not to turn you into an athlete. It is to:

• Help your body use insulin and sugar more effectively.
• Maintain or gently improve your walking tolerance and strength.
• Calm your nervous system, reduce stress and support your mood.

This article shows how these classes can connect with the rest of your diabetes care. It sits alongside our other pieces on tests, food, medicines and emotional health:

HbA1c & Daily Life  ·  Diabetes-Friendly Plate  ·  Movement After Meals  ·  Diabetes Medicines  ·  Mood & Motivation

Why Movement Is Part of Diabetes Care

NHS diabetes teams often describe movement as a “third medicine” alongside food and tablets. You do not need complicated routines for it to help. Gentle, regular movement can:

• Help your muscles take up sugar from your blood.
• Improve how your body responds to insulin.
• Support weight management alongside food changes, if this is one of your goals.
• Support blood pressure, heart and circulation.
• Lift mood and reduce stress hormones, which can also influence blood sugar.

You are not expected to “power through” pain or breathlessness. The aim is to find a realistic, safe level of activity that supports your diabetes plan, not to copy younger people’s routines.

What Happens in a PHAT Zoom Exercise Session?

Each instructor has their own style, but most sessions include:

• A friendly welcome and check-in.
• Gentle warm-up movements for joints and muscles.
• Seated or standing exercises for the legs, arms and trunk.
• Short balance or stepping practice (if safe for you).
• Cool-down stretches and calming breathing.

You can:

• Keep your camera on or off – whatever feels comfortable.
• Stay seated for the whole session if standing is difficult.
• Rest at any time – even if that means watching more than moving on some days.

Many members also join for the routine and company. Seeing familiar faces once or twice a week can make it easier to stick with gentle movement over months and years.

How Classes Can Support Blood Sugar Control

Our article on Movement After Meals – A Powerful but Overlooked Tool explains how a short walk or chair routine after eating can help your body handle sugar from food. Zoom sessions can support this in different ways:

• Some people like to schedule their class 1–2 hours after a meal, when blood sugar often rises.
• Others use what they learn in class to build short “after-meal” routines on days when there is no Zoom session.
• Learning to notice when movement makes you feel clearer or steadier can help you understand your own body’s response.

If you take medicines that can cause low blood sugar (hypos) – such as insulin or some sulfonylurea tablets – your diabetes nurse or pharmacist should explain how to:

• Time your tablets, food and sessions safely.
• Spot early symptoms of a hypo.
• Carry quick-acting sugar with you even at home.

Use our medicines article to prepare questions: Medicines for Type 2 Diabetes – What They’re Trying to Do

Walking Tolerance, Balance and Independence

Diabetes care is not only about numbers. It is also about whether you can:

• Walk to the shops or bus stop.
• Climb the stairs to your bedroom.
• Get up from a chair safely.

Gentle strengthening, stepping and balance work in our sessions can help you:

• Maintain or slowly improve how far you can walk without needing to stop.
• Feel steadier when you turn, carry small items or step in and out of the bath.
• Reduce your risk of falls – an important part of keeping you independent.

If your NHS team has mentioned nerve changes in your feet, circulation problems, or recent falls, they may recommend:

• Particular shoes or insoles.
• Specific balance or strength exercises.
• Physiotherapy or falls clinic support.

You can bring any written advice from these services to our sessions and adapt the movements to respect those guidelines.

Emotional Wellbeing, Loneliness and Motivation

Many people with diabetes live alone or feel emotionally isolated. Our article on Diabetes, Mood and Motivation – When You Feel Tired of Trying explores this in depth. Zoom exercise can help by:

• Giving you a reason to get dressed and move at a set time.
• Providing gentle company – familiar faces and voices – even if you do not feel like talking.
• Offering small “wins” on difficult days: “I joined, I moved a little, I showed up for myself.”

Some members say the routine and connection are just as important as the physical movements. On low days, simply logging in and doing what you can is a meaningful achievement.

Fitting Classes Around Your NHS Diabetes Plan

PHAT sessions are not a replacement for NHS services. Instead, they can be an extra layer of support between appointments. For example:

• After a review where your HbA1c is slightly high, you might agree with your nurse to add two Zoom sessions a week and a short “after meal” walk on non-class days.
• If your kidney tests show early changes, your team might encourage gentle activity to support blood pressure and circulation, alongside medication and monitoring.
• If you are recovering from a heart or lung problem, your cardiac or respiratory team can advise which parts of class are suitable and how hard you should work.

Before starting classes – or if your health has changed – it is wise to check with your GP, diabetes nurse or specialist team. You can show them this article or the PHAT website so they know what the sessions involve.

Our articles on: First Year After a Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis – What to Expect and Foot, Eye & Kidney Checks can also help you see how movement fits into the bigger picture.

Ten Practical Tips for Using Zoom Classes Safely and Usefully

Pick one or two that feel realistic for you this month:

1. Check safety first. Ask your GP, nurse or specialist, “Is this gentle Zoom exercise suitable for me, and are there any movements I should avoid?”
2. Set up your space. Use a stable chair without wheels, clear the floor around you, and have water within reach.
3. Keep medicines nearby. If you are at risk of hypos, have your treatment (for example glucose tablets or juice) close at hand.
4. Start small. On your first sessions, aim to join, warm up and do a few movements. You can build up gradually.
5. Use “traffic lights”. Green: you can talk and move easily. Amber: you are working, but still comfortable. Red: you feel dizzy, unwell or in pain – stop and rest.
6. Listen to your body the next day. Mild stiffness is common at first. Strong pain or breathlessness that does not settle needs medical advice.
7. Link to meals. If safe for you, consider a session after a meal or use class routines as a model for your own “after meal” movement on other days.
8. Use classes as a mood anchor. On days when you feel low, decide in advance: “I will at least log in and see how I feel once it starts.”
9. Make notes. After sessions, jot down how your body felt before and after. Over time, you may notice more energy or steadier walking.
10. Share with your team. Tell your NHS diabetes team how often you are joining and what benefits or difficulties you notice – this helps them tailor your plan.