If you're at risk for Type 2 diabetes because of genetics and/or lifestyle choices, do you do strength training? Chances are you don't.
Overall, only about 35% of men and 27% of women get in two or more strength-building workouts a week, and one study found that 88% of people with Type 2 diabetes don’t do any resistance training at all.
That's a shame.
A study in BMC Medicine shows that greater muscle strength is associated with a 40% reduction in your risk for Type 2 diabetes, regardless of your genetic predisposition.
The researchers looked at seven years' worth of data on more than 140,000 people and found that those with a high genetic risk and more muscle strength were less likely to develop diabetes than those with a low genetic risk and low muscle strength.
It's effective because the more muscle you have, the better your body fights off insulin resistance and keeps excess glucose from entering your bloodstream.
Building more muscle also reduces inflammatory body fat that's associated with elevated glucose levels.
What's the smart muscle-building routine for you? A combination of aerobics (they build muscles too) such as biking, walking, or swimming, and muscle-building exercises using resistance bands (for arms and legs), your own body weight (planks, squats), or weight machines. For some people, hand weights (start light, go slow) work as well.
Aim for two to three 20-30 minute sessions of resistance/strength training and 150 to 300 minutes of aerobics weekly.
For more help getting and staying active, check out my book "The RealAge Workout."