Researchers from Northwestern University (Illinois, USA) have identified physical fitness in one’s twenties as a  potentially protective force to combat the onset of diabetes as one ages.  The team studied 3,989 men and women for a period of 20 years, evaluating fitness by treadmill test up to three times during the study period.  The researchers found that those subjects who developed diabetes during the study period experienced greater declines in fitness, as compared to those who remained diabetes-free. Women were at a 22% increased risk of developing diabetes and men were at 45% increased risk, for every standard deviation decrease from the mean fitness change.  There also was a marked attenuation in the correlation between fitness and diabetes when adjusting for body mass index (BMI); that is, in two persons with a similar level of fitness, the person with a higher BMI was more likely to develop diabetes. 

Consult an anti-aging physician to construct an exercise regimen that is appropriate for your medical needs.