Do you want to learn how to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes? The answer may be in strength training. Not only is it good for your overall health, it may also lower your chances of developing this disease.
What exactly is the link between weight lifting and diabetes? Increased muscle mass can do a lot to help you stay healthy. One study revealed that strength training can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 32%.
Lifting weights won’t necessarily eliminate your body’s need for insulin, but it can give your body a way to burn glucose as fuel. Burning it this way eliminates the need for your body to produce more insulin.
Benefits of Strength Training
People with diabetes need to know about the many benefits of strength training. For example, a study showed that strength training can keep pre-diabetics from progressing to type 2 diabetes.
Another study revealed that strength training may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes.
Experts also found that strength training can help with insulin resistance. Having a healthy insulin resistance is a good way to prevent diabetes complications as well as avoid developing the condition in the first place.
Weight Lifting Tips
How do you reap the full benefits of strength training? These tips may help you get started:
1. How Often Should You Lift Weights?
Ideally, you should lift weights 3 to 4 times a week, but this isn’t true for everyone. If you’re new to exercise or it’s been a while since you last did it regularly, you should ease into it. 2 to 3 times may be enough, depending on factors like age, exercise level, and injuries or other physical limitations.
2. How Long Should Sessions Be?
You can plan to work out for 45 to 60 minutes at a time if you are already used to exercise. But if you’re a beginner, go slow at only 10 to 20 minutes each day instead. Slowly work your way up to 30 minutes a day over the course of a few weeks or a month.
3. Don’t Forget the Warm Up and Stretches
If you’re new to exercising, you may be a little sore at first. This is normal and the soreness will eventually fade, but make sure to incorporate the proper warm-ups and light stretching on exercise days. Take resting days seriously, too.
Before You Start Pumping Iron
Many people find gyms intimidating, but there’s no rule that says that lifting weights needs to happen in a gym. You can easily get started with strength training exercises using a resistance band at home.
Now that you know how to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes with exercise, remember that this is only part of the equation. Eating healthy and well-balanced meals is another major step towards lowering that risk.
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