The moment we mention exercise for diabetes patients, invariably aerobic exercises, cardio, long jogs, running, swimming, walking, etc. comes to mind. But what we miss is that there are much better options than these forms of exercise, that offer excellent benefits in the long-term, in a very short duration of time. Yes, we are talking about strength training. One reason why strength training is not preferred is the misconception that strength training leads to forming muscle bulk. This is due to the popular image of bodybuilders bulking up at the gym, which has led to gyms being perceived solely as places of ‘extreme workouts’.

The encouraging news is that you can still have all those benefits of strength training without needing to train like a bodybuilder. Be it losing weight, controlling sugar-intake or reduce food cravings; strength training is great when it comes to managing diabetes. Still not convinced? Then read on to learn how strength training can help you manage diabetes.

Regulates insulin
If you have diabetes, you must be familiar with insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that decides the conversion of blood glucose into energy. When you eat a diet rich in sugar, the pancreas responds by releasing insulin. This insulin acts on the cells of the body to uptake the sugar and converts it into other forms that can be used for energy later on. When this insulin is low, your blood-sugar level rises. Strength training increases insulin sensitivity of the cells, thereby helping with sugar control.

Reduces blood sugar
When it comes to controlling blood sugar, strength training helps in the insulin sensitivity of the cells. This means that the uptake of sugar by the cells is increased and contributes to bringing down the sugar levels in the blood to normal levels faster.

Reduces obesity
You must be aware that obesity is interlinked with diabetes and other cardiovascular disorders. When you do strength training, you lose more fat in less time. Especially when you perform compound multi joint exercises, you torch that layer of fat all over your body. When you perform spot training, you make your muscles stronger and burn localized fat. This leads to the reduction of obesity. When body fat decreases, insulin sensitivity increases, and thus blood glucose is regulated.

Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
The straightforward complication of long standing diabetes is the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, etc. When you do regular strength training, you burn fat, reduce blood sugar levels, torch those extra calories and improve blood circulation all over the body. This puts the risk of cardiovascular diseases in check.

Reduces the complications of diabetes
Diabetes is a serious issue mainly because of the complications that it causes such as neuropathy, frailty, increased fatigue, etc. Strength training addresses all these issues in one go. You become more active, flexible, stable and healthy. Additionally, there is a surge in circulation when you train regularly, that helps to remove those excess toxic substances from the body.

So how do I start?
If you are convinced by the aforementioned points, and ready to do strength training, then here are a few practical tips on how you can start your personalized strength training plan:

• Consult your trainer, or visit a gym, to learn about various exercises.
• Start with compound exercises that act on multiple joint in the body.
• Avoid lifting excess weights and stick to little weight.
• Do a lot of repetitions and add variations to exercises.
• Mix strength training with high-intensity interval workout.
• You can try super sets with weight after few weeks in the gym.
• Go for spot training if you are specifically focussing on any particular muscles.
• Never miss a leg class.
• Do squats, push-ups, double bar dips and pull-ups regularly.
• Don’t over train.
• Eat right.
• Sleep well.
• Give adequate rest to your body.
• Keep changing your workouts regularly to avoid plateaus.

So what are you waiting for? Hit the gym right away. You will find that strength training will give you incredible results when it comes to managing diabetes.