Strength training benefits:
- Helps the body respond better to insulin
- Increases weight loss
- Reduces your risk for heart disease
- Improves your bodies control of blood sugar
The science behind the benefits of strength training:
Your body uses glucose from the bloodstream for energy when performing resistance training by signalling the glucose to enter the muscle cells. This helps to reduce the excess sugar from within your system.
Additionally, weight training at a moderate to high intensity promotes weight loss, and this is one of the primary goals for individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes. The more muscle you build up from this training will also improve weight loss, as muscles burn more calories than fat.
With this increase in muscle mass, you will also require less insulin in your body to store energy in fat cells.
Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) guidelines suggest that individuals with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes participate in two to three 60 minute resistance training sessions per week and complete two to three sets and eight to ten repetitions of eight to ten exercises. Ensure that you include one to two minutes rest between sets, especially if you’re working at a moderate to high intensity.
By following these guidelines, you will approximately be completing 60 minutes’ worth of exercise. However, if you feel as though you are struggling and this level is unattainable, then you should still try to complete as much as you can.
After completing a resistance training session, insulin activity will rapidly increase and not decline until approximately 48 hours post exercise. Therefore, you should attempt to schedule your next resistance training session no sooner or no later than this 48 hour point to maximise the benefits of weight training.
You should aim to complete a minimum of 210 minutes of moderate intensity or 125 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise each week using a combination of resistance and aerobic training.
For more information please contact Inspire Fitness for Wellbeing on 9857 3007 to speak to one of our Exercise Physiologists or Personal Trainers today
References;
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/strength-training-diabetes
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/managing-type-2-diabetes/strength-training-for-diabetes/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244011000806