How Much Exercise, and What Kind

There are actual numbers behind the general advice to be more active, and they are more achievable than most people assume.

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. That works out to roughly 30 minutes on most days, and it can be broken into smaller pieces through the day rather than done in one block.

Add strength training twice a week. This is the part most people skip, and it matters — muscle is where a large share of glucose gets used, so building and keeping it improves how your body handles sugar. It does not require a gym; bodyweight squats, wall push-ups, and carrying or lifting things at home all count.

Then balance and stretching work, two to three times a week. This looks optional and is not, particularly as you get older or if you have any nerve damage in your feet.

Aerobic activity can be anything that raises your breathing and heart rate and that you will keep doing — walking, cycling, swimming, dancing.

If that total sounds far away from where you are now, do not aim at it directly. Pick a number you are confident of hitting this week, hit it, then raise it.