Dancing or going for brisk walks can slash the risk of diabetes by three quarters, according to a huge new study.

Those who managed more than an hour of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day were 74 percent less likely to be diagnosed, compared to sedentary peers.

The protection even applied to genetically-predisposed patients when the disease runs in the family. In fact, their susceptibility fell further than individuals at low genetic risk who were inactive.

"People are unable to control their genetic risk and family history," said the study's senior author Professor Melody Ding, of Sydney University. "But this finding provides promising and positive news that through an active lifestyle, one can fight off much of the excessive risk for type 2 diabetes."

The Australian team tracked 59,325 adults from the UK Biobank—a database holding detailed information about the genes and health of around half a million Brits.

Participants wore accelerometers on their wrist at the start and were then followed for up to seven years.

It is the first study to show that genetic risk of type 2 diabetes, linked to unhealthy lifestyles, can be counteracted by exercise.

Moderate-intensity physical activity describes movements that get you sweating and slightly out of breath, such as brisk walking or landscaping. Examples of vigorous-intensity physical activity include running, aerobic dancing, cycling uphill or at a fast pace and heavy gardening such as digging—all activities that make you out of breath or cause you to breathe heavily.

Prof. Ding's father who's in his sixties was recently diagnosed with diabetes, which has turned into one of the world's top ten killers due to the obesity crisis.

"So the result of the study is extremely heartening for my family and myself," she said. "As an already active person, I now have extra motivation to keep this active lifestyle.

The researchers say the study demonstrates higher levels of physical activity should be promoted as a major strategy for prevention.

The study also found that people with a high genetic risk score were 2.4 times more likely to develop it, if they didn't exercise.

"If you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, or even if you don't, today is the day to start being physically active," said Susan Luo, lead author of the paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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