As you may already know, strength training is one of the greatest ways to get in shape and have a healthy and fit body. Something you might not know is that strength training has been proven to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Studies have been done to show that strength training helps prevent type 2 diabetes by triggering metabolic changes in the body.
For a long time scientists thought that only aerobic exercises, like running, had any prominent effect on the body’s metabolism, but recently, studies were done that showed that strength training influences the body’s metabolism in a large way. This is because strength training helps reduce blood glucose very specifically.
First of all, when doing any kind of exercise, the body uses excess glucose as necessary fuel. When doing strength training, the body uses excess glucose as well as building muscle. Building extra muscle provides the body with a larger storage area for glucose and both factors of using the excess glucose and building more muscle improve the body’s glucose processing, which is very important in preventing type 2 diabetes.
The most popular form of strength training is weight training. Weight training is done by using weights stacks, dumbbells, bands, body weight and so on to oppose muscle contraction. Some examples of this are bent over-rows, dumbbell presses, pull-ups, dumbbell lunges, triceps dips, and free-weight squats. You can learn how to do these through video tutorials and also by getting a competent personal fitness trainer.
According the the American College of Sports Medicine’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2012, strength training is currently number 2 on the list with Pilates and balance ball training dropping off the list completely. “It is common for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, or metabolic disease management programs to include some form of weight training in the exercise prescription.”
Remember, having a healthy diet is also a very important way to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Make sure you aren’t eating too many sugary and junk foods. Also make sure you are eating the right amount of vegetables and just in general have your diet balanced. Doing strength training along with having a good diet is a sure way to prevent diabetes.
