If an eating plan is the most important part of any diabetes-reversing strategy, exercise is a close second. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can do wonders for managing your blood sugar and weight. While just about any exercise will do, there are a few factors to keep in mind that will skyrocket the results you get from it.

Commit to Daily Exercise:

To reap the full benefits of exercise, it is important to do it every single day. This is important because studies show the ability of exercise to make cells more sensitive to insulin tapers off after just two days.

You don’t have to hit the gym every single day, but taking a short walk or two or even gardening will do the trick when you’re in a time crunch.

Interval Train:

Most people picture cardio as an activity where the intensity hardly changes throughout the workout. While there’s nothing wrong with a jog, the metabolic effects pale in comparison to interval trainings… short, high intensity bouts of exercise alternating with periods of rest.

Studies show that this type of exercise, while intense, can give you more bang for your buck. In fact, one study showed that just 30 to 40 minutes of this type of training improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 23%.

The author of that study, James Timmons, Ph.D states that: “High-intensity sprints prime your muscle fibers to respond better to insulin”.

If your last trip to the gym happened before the housing market collapsed, it’s best to wait until you’re in better shape before diving into interval training.

Pump Iron:

Whether you’re a man or a woman, 25 or 75, strength training is for you. That’s because strength training can do things cardio can’t. For example, strength training gives your metabolism a boost long after you are done exercising. Also, lifting weights helps to improve your body composition… a key factor in getting blood sugar back under control.

You don’t have to lift your refrigerator over your head to benefit from strength training either. Body weight exercises like push ups and crunches 3 times per week for 15 minutes is enough to make a difference.

Walk It Off:

While daily exercise may seem daunting, when you consider that walking counts towards your physical activity goal, (at least 30 minutes per day), it’s actually quite reasonable.

Walking is by far the most convenient exercise around. You don’t need equipment, special clothes, or a gym membership. Just a comfy pair of shoes and a pleasant route.

Skeptical that a simple walk can influence type 2 diabetes? Consider a 2005 study published in Diabetes Care which found that just 38 minutes of total walking per day significantly reduced the HbA1c level… even if the person with diabetes didn’t lose any weight.

Best of all, you don’t have to do all your walking at once. Four 10-minute walks have the same benefit of a single 40 minute bout.

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