Background: For meaningful HbA1c reduction, improvement of cardiovascular risk profile, and weight loss, the current recommendation for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a minimum of 150 min/week of physical exercise. Post-meal exercise was both safe and effective in improving glycemic profiles in people with T2DM. However, the effects of post-meal spot marching exercise (PMSME) on glycemic control, exercise tolerance, leg muscle strength, and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with T2DM have not yet been investigated.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PMSME on glycemic control, exercise tolerance, leg muscle strength, and QoL in individuals with T2DM.

Materials and methods: Participants aged 50-70 were randomly allocated to the exercise or control groups (N=12 each). Participants in both groups received standard treatment following the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2019. Only the exercise group performed moderate-intensity PMSME for 15 minutes per set, 3 sets per day, 4 days per week for 8 weeks. All participants underwent fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Three-Minute Step Test (TMST), Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST), and the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) at baseline and at the end of this study.

Results: At baseline, there were no differences in outcomes between the two groups. At post-intervention period, the exercise group showed significant improvements in HbA1c (7.99 vs. 9.16%), heart rate recovery in the first minute after completion of the TMST (99.83 vs 113.58 bpm), FTSST (8.44 vs 10.02 sec), and SF-36 (physical function [82.50 vs. 67.50 scores], physical role [75.00 vs. 50.00 scores], vitality [75.00 vs. 57.50 scores], and total score [76.19 vs 62.81 scores] domains) compared to the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: PMSME could be used as an alternative home-based exercise to improve glycemic control, exercise tolerance, functional leg muscle strength and QoL in T2DM patients.