The physiatrist is an important member of the diabetes healthcare team. His/her primary role is to provide physical activity counselling for the diabetics after thorough evaluation. Exercise is a primary component of diabetes management together with diet plan and antidiabetic drugs. The physiatrist, with his/her background knowledge in exercise physiology, is the most appropriate person for this job. Regular exercise has been shown to improve blood glucose control, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, contribute to weight loss and improve well being. Furthermore, regular exercise may prevent type 2 diabetes in high risk individuals. Thus physical activity plays a pivotal role in health promotion and diabetes control. People with diabetes should be advised to perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity using ‘FITT Principle’. In the absence of contra-indications, people with type 2 diabetes should be encouraged to perform resistance training three times per week. DeLorme resistance exercise improves power, strength, endurance and burns more calories. Cross training is the term used to describe the use of a variety of activities during exercise. Interval training is the variation of intensity during one or more aerobic activities. Circuit training is the combination of aerobic exercise and weight training (anaerobic exercise). Before recommending a programme of physical activity, the physiatrist should assess diabetics for coronary artery disease and other complications of diabetes.