VA new randomized control trial found that both aerobic exercise—such as jogging, cycling or walking—and resistance exercise—such as weight lifting—improved glycemic/blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, the best results were received when patients combined the workouts. Each participant in the study, published in the journal, "Annals of Internal Medicine," was evaluated on the changes in A1c value, a number that reflects blood sugar concentrations. A drop of 1 percent in this value is associated with a 15 to 20 percent drop in risk of heart attack or stroke and a 25-40 percent drop for risk of diabetes related eye disease or kidney disease.