Is 12 minutes of exercise all that is needed to fight diabetes?

A University of Queensland researcher is trialling a 12-minute exercise plan that aims to fight type 2 diabetes in a flash.

UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences expert Professor Jeff Coombes said regular exercise was vital for the management of diabetes, helping individuals with the condition to live a healthier life.

"However, routine exercise is often difficult to fit into people's everyday lives due to time constraints," Professor Coombes said.

"We have shown that as little as four minutes of aerobic exercise is enough to improve factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, fitness and vascular function, and prevent fatal events such as stroke and heart attack.

"We are now adding eight minutes of strength training to see if this is also effective for people with type 2 diabetes."

The study is being conducted at UQ's St Lucia campus in Brisbane, with participants undergoing free supervised treatments three times per week for 12 weeks with accredited exercise physiologists.

"We are assessing the health benefits of this exercise dose via several tests that measure blood glucose, fitness, cholesterol, body fat, and vascular function, which are all factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease," Professor Coombes said.

"We are specifically targeting people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and have low levels of physical activity or fitness.

"We are providing health services worth a total of about $5000 in this trial."

A limited number of places for the trial remain available.