Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and impaired insulin secretion. Adequate physical activity can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and help manage its symptoms.
Resistance training is a type of exercise that improves insulin sensitivity through increased glucose uptake and breakdown, and increased muscle size, reducing the risk of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
As mentioned earlier, strength training has many health benefits for people with diabetes. Such training offers a safe and effective way to optimize blood sugar levels, increase muscle strength and improve quality of life. It may also help reduce insulin resistance, fat mass, and blood pressure, and improve lean body composition, bone density and cardiovascular health. People with diabetes are at risk of losing both muscle strength and functional status (the ability to perform normal daily activities) with age. By incorporating strength training into your exercise routine, you can counteract these effects of aging. Adding strength training to your exercise regimen can also provide significant benefits in improving your mood and well-being.
BETTER BLOOD GLUCOSE MANAGEMENT
When you lift weights, your body uses glucose from your bloodstream to fuel your muscles. Think of your muscles as many little “gas tanks” that store glucose. Muscle tissue absorbs most of the glucose from food, so exercise that improves muscle mass is particularly effective at improving blood sugar levels. So you may actually see an improvement in your hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c, a measure of your glucose control over the past 2-3 months).
IMPROVING INSULIN SENSITIVITY
When you have type 2 diabetes, your body cells become insulin resistant. Insulin is the hormone needed to move glucose from the bloodstream to the body’s cells to use it as energy. Insulin resistance prevents this process from working properly, causing blood sugar levels to rise over time. Studies show that resistance training makes your body more sensitive to insulin for about 24 hours. Therefore, adding strength training to your routine can help improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
IMPROVING WEIGHT LOSS AND BODY COMPOSITION
Another advantage of resistance training is that you spend more energy building and maintaining muscle. If you have more muscle you will burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. This makes strength training a great strategy for weight loss and maintenance. Aerobic exercise can cause you to lose both fat and lean body mass, but strength training actually helps you lose fat while losing weight and helps maintain and build fat mass.
IMPROVED OVERALL FUNCTIONAL STATUS
Resistance training can help people with diabetes improve their overall function. Any intensity of resistance training is recommended to improve strength, balance, and ability to perform activities of daily living. Exercise not only increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis, but it also strengthens joints that are vital for maintaining mobility as we age.
For quality management of your diabetes condition visit Specialty Care Clinics call us now. Our doctors are well experienced in managing diabetes conditions.