In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is Strength Training?How Strength Training Helps Manage DiabetesBest Strength Training Exercises for DiabetesFAQs
In This ArticleView All
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In This Article
What Is Strength Training?
How Strength Training Helps Manage Diabetes
Best Strength Training Exercises for Diabetes
FAQs
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Photo: Getty Images
While astrength trainingroutine can help nearly everyone get healthier, it can significantly benefit people with type 2 diabetes, about 10% of Americans, per theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. “Strength training offers many health benefits for people with diabetes, including improved glucose control and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,” explainsErin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, a registered dietitian and author of2-Day Diabetes Diet. Furthermore, according to the CDC, you can reap the benefits with only two days of strength training per week when combined with at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity.
Read on to learn more about this effective form of exercise and how it can help manage diabetes. Plus, we share some of the best strength training exercises for people with diabetes to stabilize their blood sugar and boost cardiovascular health.
The Best Walking Plan to Help Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels
Strength training (also called resistance training) is essential to overall fitness. According toPenn State University, it’s a type of exercise that causes your muscles to contract against external resistance for increased muscle mass, stronger bones, improved joint flexibility and more. Examples of strength training exercises include pullups, pushups, squats, deadlifts, lunges, planks, biceps curls and triceps extensions, among others. As for the external resistance, you can use free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, cables, medicine balls or even your body weight.
Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels
“Strength training helps lower and regulate blood sugar levels. Physical activity, in general, helps with blood sugar levels because you use these sugars to fuel your activity,” statesRachel MacPherson, CPT, an ACE-certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews. “Strength training specifically is a great choice for people with diabetes because you use more muscles. This helps with calorie burn and increasing muscle mass, improving your daily metabolism, including blood sugar metabolism.” For example, a meta-analysis review published inDiabetes Therapyin 2017 concluded that older type 2 diabetes patients experienced improved glycemic control and muscle strength following a strength training program.
Improves Insulin Response
A 2020 study published in theJournal of Diabetes Researchfound that a regular strength training program can substantially improve insulin response in men. For example, men who reported no strength training had roughly 2.5 times higher risk of being insulin resistant than their counterparts who reported moderate or high levels of strength training. “Regular strength training can help reduce fasting blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce body fat levels, and increase lean muscle mass,” Palinski-Wade explains.
Helps Prevent Bone Loss
Supports Healthy Weight Loss
“Strength training helps support a healthier weight, which can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels,” explains Palinski-Wade. “All this helps reduce the risk of developing complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.”
7-Day Meal Plan for Insulin Resistance
1. Squats
Whether using free weights, a machine or your body weight,squatsare an effective exercise for those with diabetes since “squats work multiple muscle groups at once, helping you use more glycogen and burn more calories,” says MacPherson. Squats are a compound movement that targets several muscle groups in your lower body.
“Squats are beneficial for diabetes, as they target multiple muscle groups and help to improve overall body strength,” says Palinski-Wade. “They also help to increase flexibility and balance, which is especially important for people with diabetes who may be at risk of falls or injuries due to neuropathy.”
2. Walking Lunges
Another lower body exercise, walking lunges are fantastic for strengthening the glutes and quads to improve overall strength and mobility. MacPherson says, “Walking lunges help burn calories and build muscle as they increase your heart rate more than other body-weight movements.
Walking lunges can alsomake you more stable, an important consideration for those with diabetes. “Walking lunges help improve balance, which is crucial for those with diabetes who may experience numbness in the feet and have an increased risk of falls,” explains Palinski-Wade.
3. Pushups
This classic movement has been a staple in strength training programs for years. That’s because pushups target multiple upper body areas, including the chest, shoulders and triceps. This helps those with diabetesbuild muscle massand reduce body fat.
“Pushups are another great exercise for people with diabetes, as they target the chest, shoulders and triceps,” says Palinski-Wade. “Regular pushups can help to improve overall strength and reduce the risk of injury due to weakened muscles.”
4. Pullups / Lat Pulldowns
Pullups are an excellent way to strengthen the upper body, including your back and arms. However, they can be challenging to execute. If you can’t do pullups with proper form, you can use a lat pulldown machine instead to reap the same benefits as pullups. “Lat pulldowns are an effective way to strengthen the back muscles, which is important for improving posture and reducing pain from complications such as nerve damage due to diabetes,” explains Palinski-Wade. According to theCDC, nerve damage, particularly in your hands, feet, legs and arms, is a condition nearly half of the people with diabetes experience.
The Bottom Line
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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhile there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to exercising with diabetes, thePhysical Activity Guidelines for Americansrecommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week (or any combination of the two) plus two days of strength training activities.Lifting weights, or any type of strength training, will notreverse diabetes. “While strength training can improve overall health and quality of life for those living with diabetes, it will not alone reverse insulin resistance,” says Palinski-Wade.For those living with diabetes, certain exercises should be avoided or modified to prevent injury. “High-impact activities, such as running, jumping and contact sports, can increase the risk of foot injuries due to numbness and other complications and also increase the risk of injury for those who suffer from retinopathy,” says Palinski-Wade.Additionally, those withhigh blood pressuremay want to avoid high-intensity activities, such as straining to lift heavy weights. Always consult a doctor or physical therapist to determine the safest and most effective exercises for managing diabetes.Both cardio and strength training exercises offer incredible health benefits for people with diabetes. Therefore, the ideal fitness program for managing diabetes should include a combination of cardio and strength training exercises. Ultimately, choosing a form of exercise that’s safe, enjoyable and one you can remain consistent with will deliver the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to exercising with diabetes, thePhysical Activity Guidelines for Americansrecommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week (or any combination of the two) plus two days of strength training activities.
Lifting weights, or any type of strength training, will notreverse diabetes. “While strength training can improve overall health and quality of life for those living with diabetes, it will not alone reverse insulin resistance,” says Palinski-Wade.
For those living with diabetes, certain exercises should be avoided or modified to prevent injury. “High-impact activities, such as running, jumping and contact sports, can increase the risk of foot injuries due to numbness and other complications and also increase the risk of injury for those who suffer from retinopathy,” says Palinski-Wade.Additionally, those withhigh blood pressuremay want to avoid high-intensity activities, such as straining to lift heavy weights. Always consult a doctor or physical therapist to determine the safest and most effective exercises for managing diabetes.
For those living with diabetes, certain exercises should be avoided or modified to prevent injury. “High-impact activities, such as running, jumping and contact sports, can increase the risk of foot injuries due to numbness and other complications and also increase the risk of injury for those who suffer from retinopathy,” says Palinski-Wade.
Additionally, those withhigh blood pressuremay want to avoid high-intensity activities, such as straining to lift heavy weights. Always consult a doctor or physical therapist to determine the safest and most effective exercises for managing diabetes.
Both cardio and strength training exercises offer incredible health benefits for people with diabetes. Therefore, the ideal fitness program for managing diabetes should include a combination of cardio and strength training exercises. Ultimately, choosing a form of exercise that’s safe, enjoyable and one you can remain consistent with will deliver the best results.
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