Exercise is vital to living well with diabetes, especially when you manage peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage, in your feet.
“One of the best ways to prevent progression of diabetic neuropathy is to stay active,” says Jason Machowsky, RD, CSCS, a physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Physical activity helps keep your blood sugar levels in check, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce inflammation, he says. Plus, exercise can help increase the flow of blood, oxygen, and other nutrients to nerve cells, further helping to improve neuropathic symptoms.
Pain, tingling, and numbness in your feet can make the idea of exercising a bit intimidating, as the nerves in your feet are what help you gauge your body’s positioning (called proprioception) and maintain balance, says Machowsky. Both are vital to performing your workouts safely and effectively. Fortunately, several types of exercise help minimize the risks and amplify the possible rewards of exercising with neuropathy.
6 Great Exercises for People With Diabetes
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1. Low-Impact Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardio’s ability to improve vascular health in people with type 2 diabetes is well established, and aerobic exercise may also improve blood vessel health in those dealing with diabetes-related neuropathy. Aerobic exercise can also help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which helps further improve blood flow to your hands and feet and improve nerve health.
To boost your blood flow while preventing cuts, scrapes, and blisters, skip pounding the pavement in favor of gentler, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, says Machowsky. If you aren’t the most balanced on a bike, stick with a stationary one. Whatever workout you choose, try to perform at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times per week.
2. Seated Strength Training Exercises
Muscle, insulin, and vascular health are intimately linked, with muscle relying on insulin to use blood glucose for energy, and physical activity leading to improvements in vascular insulin sensitivity in the skeletal muscle.
While weight-bearing exercises that keep you on your feet are great for helping you get the most out of every rep, they may not be best if your neuropathy affects your overall balance and stability. Fortunately, there’s plenty of effective strength exercises you can perform from a seated position, Machowsky says.
Check out your gym’s seated leg strengtheners, including the leg extension, hamstring curl, and glute kickback machines. Meanwhile, you can perform a vast array of upper-body exercises, from bicep curls to shoulder presses, while seated on a bench. Aim to perform strength exercises at least twice per week, in addition to your cardio workouts.
3. Balance and Stability Work
By damaging nerve function and sensation in your feet, diabetes-related neuropathy significantly increases your risk of falls. That’s where balance and stability work comes in, training your muscles and the neurons in charge of them to fire properly and work together, says Machowsky. The most important muscles for keeping you upright are found in your feet, legs, and core.
Try to integrate some sort of balance or stability work into every workout. Perform one-legged exercises (holding onto the wall or a sturdy object for balance), practice walking from heel to toe in a straight line, and complete core exercises, including planks, Dead Bugs, Bird Dogs, and cable chops, says Machowsky.
4. Mind-Body Exercises
Active meditation exercises like yoga and tai chi may also be helpful for your nervous system, potentially reducing stress and pain, improving balance and stability, and boosting your overall quality of life.
Yoga is beneficial in reducing stress levels, blood pressure, and inflammation, all of which can affect the progression of diabetes-related neuropathy. And while yoga may feel less intense than cycling or strength training, it still gets your heart pumping and can help build muscle.
Perform your mind-body exercise method of choice in a way that meets your needs and complements your other workouts. For instance, consider a gentle flow yoga class as a way to recover after a more intense strength or cardio workout.
When to Seek Neuropathy Treatment
If you feel tingling, numbness, loss of sensation, or pain from common clothing like socks or even bedsheets, seek treatment for neuropathy. If you find from checking your feet daily that you have a blister or ulcer, notify your physician of these changes as well to help prevent infections.
“Loss of sensation in the foot or ankle can significantly increase the risk of getting infections in those areas from routine cuts or abrasions,” says Machowsky. “You may not feel the extent of the damage done and therefore not take action to treat it until it becomes a major medical emergency.”
The Takeaway
While exercise can feel intimidating with peripheral neuropathy in your feet, it’s one of the best ways to manage and prevent the progression of the condition.
Low-impact aerobic exercise like walking, stationary biking, and swimming, as well as seated strength training exercises can help improve neuropathy symptoms while minimizing your risk of injury.
Balance and stability work, as well as active meditation exercises like yoga and tai chi, may also be particularly helpful for your nervous system.
Seek treatment for peripheral neuropathy if you feel tingling, numbness, loss of sensation, or pain from wearing daily clothing like socks, and keep a close eye on any developing foot blisters or ulcers to avoid further foot health complications.
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Nguyen V et al. Interventional Effects of Exercise on Neuropathy in Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. April 14, 2025.
Bhardwaj P et al. Yoga as a Complementary Therapy in Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. October 11, 2023.
Yang M et al. Tai Chi for Balance and Postural Control in People With Peripheral Neuropathy: A Scoping Review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. November 2024.
Anna L. Goldman, MD, is a board-certified endocrinologist. She teaches first year medical students at Harvard Medical School and practices general endocrinology in Boston.
Dr. Goldman attended college at Wesleyan University and then completed her residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where she was also a chief resident. She moved to Boston to do her fellowship in endocrinology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She joined the faculty after graduation and served as the associate program director for the fellowship program for a number of years.
K. Aleisha Fetters is a Chicago-based fitness writer and certified strength and conditioning specialist who empowers others to reach their goals using a science-based approach to fitness, nutrition and health. Her work has been featured in various publications including Time, Men's Health, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Self, O, U.S. News & World Report, and Family Circle. She also creates editorial content and programming for Exos, a sports performance company.
Fetters earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She has written multiple books -- Give Yourself MORE, Fitness Hacks for Over 50, My Pocket Guide to Stretching -- and coauthored The Woman’s Guide To Strength Training. She is regularly interviewed as an expert on strength training, women's fitness, and mindset. She works with trainees in person and online.
