[Prescription of exercise in the diabetic patient]

There is a broad epidemiologic evidence related with the increase of the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 throughout the world, especially in Western populations, at rates considered epidemic. Cerebrovascular disease and myocardial infarction are two of the most important complications of this disease and they have very high social and economic consequences. Treatment of this disease is directed good metabolic control, diminishing toward obtain co-morbidity, and reducing acute and chronic diabetic complications. Diet, hypoglycemic drugs or insulin, and programs of physical activity are used for this purpose. This document presents some thoughts on the difficulties related with the prescription of physical exercise in the diabetic patient and a brief proposal to solve those problems in the clinical practice.