Long-term effect of short-term exercise instructions in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: observation study after randomized controlled study

To clarify the long-term effects of short-term exercise instructions by physical therapists in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

This was a follow-up study of 2 years after randomized controlled study of short-term exercise instructions included 18 patients (5 in the non-intervention and 13 in the intervention groups). Motor skills, including 6 min walk test scores, and transtheoretical model was evaluated at baseline (week 0), the end of the study of the previous study (week 8), and 2 years after (2 years).

In the intervention group, changes in 6 min walk distance, which was significant at 8 weeks (from 445 (420–480) m to 490 (450–520) m, p = 0.01)), were maintained at 2 years (496 (420–540) m, p = 0.05), whereas in the non-intervention group, there were no changes in 6 min walk distance at 8 weeks (from 460 (458–493) m to 464 (460–485) m, p = 0.86) and 2 years (490 (480–506) m, p = 0.63). Furthermore, the changes in transtheoretical model, which was significant at 8 weeks (p = 0.008), were maintained at 2 years (p = 0.02), whereas in the non-intervention group, there were no changes in 6 min walk distance at 8 weeks and 2 years. On the other hand, the other markers were not significantly different between week 8 and 2 years compared to baseline in both groups.

Short-term outpatient exercise instruction by physical therapists may lead to long-term improvement effect on walking ability in people with T2D.