Preventing pre-diabetes can be as simple as working out for 30 minutes – five days per week. This time can be even shorter depending on the intensity of your routines.
Preliminaries to keep in mind before starting
If you are starting an exercise program for the first time or had a long layoff you will need start slowly. Seek the advice of a personal trainer who can guide you so you’ll get the full benefits of your activity. It’s important to set performance goals as your endurance and strength improves and a PT can help with this.
Remember before starting any strenuous exercises – visit with your healthcare provider. Inform them of your plans to start working out. They can advise you as to your current health status and what precautions to keep in mind.
How does exercise help prevent pre-diabetes?
By exercising for thirty to forty minutes each day you will improve your body’s biological function. Blood and insulin is forced to the muscles being activated where it can be used for energy. This will lower the amount of sugar circulating in your blood stream.
A major Finnish study confirmed the fact that exercising will improve the condition of those suffering with impaired glucose tolerance – early stage or pre-diabetes. The study concluded that you have a greater than 50% chance to prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to full blown diabetes.
In addition, exercise will lower your blood pressure and keep your heart rate in the normal range. Because your heart is pumping more blood when you exercise than when you are being sedentary, you will improve your heart rate. The walls of your blood vessels will dilate and more blood will flow easier to where it’s needed.
You will definitely burn more calories and lose excess weight which is a risk factor for pre-diabetes.
OK so now that we have establish that working out is good for you . . .
How long should your workout sessions be?
As stated earlier – thirty minutes, five days per week, or 150 minutes per week – has become the benchmark for exercising to accomplish the benefits listed above. This number has been established by researchers – and approved by the CDC and the American Diabetes Association. It’s based on studies of large groups of people varying from those who do little or no exercise to those who vigorously exercise for more than hour each day. They found that any more than 150 hours will only produce minimal gains.
Other studies have shown that you can get similar benefits by doing your exercises in a shorter time period simply by increasing the intensity. That’s right ! You’ll be able to cut your sweat time by up to a third or more of the 150 hours recommended.
I find that exercising for five days using higher intensity routines is ideal for my schedule. I do HIIT weight training for three days – every other day- and a more toned down version for two days.
With a higher intensity your body is able to burn more calories in the same time as it would for longer steady state workouts. By combining cardio with resistance exercises each time I workout my body burns calories up to 24 hours later.
How do you get your exercises time in?
There are several ways to do a workout routine to reduce the risk of pre-diabetes while getting fit in the process.
When I hit the gym – home or my local facility – I already have all my exercises planned out in my mind.
If you are starting for the first time I would advise you to keep an exercise journal. A personal trainer can do this for you. You should have a preset routine in mind so there will be no hesitation from one exercise to the next.
I like to work on one major muscle group each day and finish with my favorite cardio routine. I love swimming and do this when I get a chance. Other ways I get my cardio in is to run on a treadmill or around the block a few times.
Cycling is great for people suffering from the beginnings of nerve damage. Like swimming, it’s low impact and you raise your core temperature quickly. Join a local cycling club.
For an amazing workout take a spin class for a couple months at the end of which you will drop twenty pounds – guaranteed.
There are countless other ways to do cardio but keep in mind that unless you are a professional athlete, 150 hours per week is enough to help you prevent pre-diabetes. Aim for at least three to four days to get the full benefits. Don’t go more than two days without doing some form of organized activity.
I created a workout program for beginners and advance exercisers. Get more information here.