Physiotherapist and PhD student Misha Ansari said the latest research showed that type 2 diabetes could be reversible up to a certain stage, with exercise potentially playing a key role.

While exercise has been recognised as a powerful medicine, Ms Ansari said the best types of exercise and the amount needed was still unclear.

"Downhill walking as an exercise, for example, is less demanding on the body and more useful in controlling blood glucose as exercising muscles don't need medicine or insulin to control blood glucose," she said.

"Through my research I am aiming to analyse the benefits of exercise in controlling blood glucose and use the results to help in developing new treatment guidelines for managing diabetes type 2 without medicines or insulin."

Ms Ansaris said the research had the potential to decrease the cost of managing type 2 diabetes and help prevent the side effects associated with medications.

People living with type 2 diabetes mellitus are needed for the study.

Participants would be required to exercise on a treadmill, twice a week for 12 weeks, starting from five minutes and progressing to 30 minutes by the end of the 12-week training period.

Exercise sessions will be conducted at the School of Health Sciences' exercise clinic, at the UTAS' Newnham Campus.

For more information call 0434 862 521.