Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, non-communicable metabolic disorder caused by insufficient insulin production or ineffective use of insulin, resulting in elevated blood glucose concentration. Although DM is most common in adults, its prevalence among adolescents is increasing. Regular exercise is recommended as a preventive strategy because it increases energy expenditure and contributes to blood glucose regulation. Indonesian Diabetes Exercise (Senam Diabetes Indonesia) is a rhythmic aerobic exercise developed for diabetes prevention in Indonesia, but evidence regarding its effect on blood glucose has not been established. This study aimed to determine the effect of Indonesian Diabetes Exercise on blood glucose levels in adolescents. A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted on 30 physiotherapy students of University of Muhammadiyah Malang who met the inclusion criteria. Subjects performed a single 30-minute session of Indonesian Diabetes Exercise (5-minute warm-up, 20-minute core exercise, 5-minute cool-down) at a mean intensity of 68.15% of heart rate maximum. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2hPPG) were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired t-test for normally distributed data and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-normally distributed data. The paired t-test showed a significant decrease in FBG after the intervention (p = 0.02; p < 0.05). In contrast, the Wilcoxon test showed no significant difference in 2hPPG before and after the intervention (p = 0.252; p > 0.05). A single session of Indonesian Diabetes Exercise significantly reduced fasting blood glucose but did not significantly affect 2-hour postprandial blood glucose in adolescents. These findings support the acute, insulin-independent effect of aerobic exercise on basal glucose uptake through the GLUT-1 pathway.
Copyrights © 2026