Almost 100 million Americans have prediabetes, and if most of them progress to full-blown Type 2 diabetes that will be a public health crisis of unimaginable proportions.

Fortunately, many people can make a U-turn, increase their insulin sensitivity, and reduce their risk for Type 2 diabetes.

A new study in the European Journal of Endocrinology looked at 70 people around age 60 who had obesity and prediabetes. Researchers tested the benefits of doing a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routine of three 20-minute sprints on a bicycle weekly; doing the HIIT routine plus walking 10,000 steps a day; or just walking that distance daily. The test lasted 12 weeks.

It turned out that compared to sedentary people, the HIIT-only group saw their peripheral insulin sensitivity increase by 18%, but their whole-body insulin sensitivity didn't make an impressive improvement.

In contrast, HIIT plus walking upped peripheral insulin sensitivity by just under 16% and boosted whole-body insulin sensitivity by 28%.

And you'll be glad to hear that whole-body insulin sensitivity went up 42% for people who walked 10,000 steps daily (but it didn't do much for peripheral insulin sensitivity).

The bottom line is to mix it up. Do HIIT some days, walk 10,000 steps on others, and combine the two when you can.