Diabetics who exercise but don’t seem to get fitter shouldn’t get discouraged – simply  moving, even without weight loss, helps control blood sugar, a new study finds.

In research published in the journal Diabetes Care, scientists found drops in blood sugar were identical among diabetics who exercised, whether or not they experience weight loss or other outward signs becoming fitter.

All exercisers reduced their HbAIC levels (a test that measures blood sugar levels) by about 0.26 percent.

The initial study, which involved 161 people with type 2 diabetes, was designed to find out which form of exercise would improve their fitness the most – aerobic training, resistance training, or a combination of both.

Although the researchers found combination of aerobic and resistance training worked best, they also discovered that two-thirds of the participants did not improve in terms of fitness, so they reanalyzed the study and discovered the blood sugar benefits.

Exercise should not be thought of solely in terms of fitness, but in a broader way that takes into account the positive changes that movement brings, the researchers concluded.