Exercise improves insulin sensitivity

The best investment you can make

I admit it–I hated exercise when I was growing up. I was the fat kid who was always picked on and was never very good at sports, so I tended to avoid those situations like the plague. (Please note that I said I was “the” fat kid. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to pick that kid out, amongst a schoolyard filled with chubsters.)

Over the years, I incorporated exercise into my life, slowly but surely–but never with the commitment that I have now. Do you know what changed? I finally hired a personal trainer.

While that may seem high-falutin’ and self-indulgent, a recent study showed that a structured exercise program helped people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar level more effectively than just receiving advice about getting more physical activity.

Exercise improves insulin sensitivity so it essentially works like the drugs you are taking to bring down your blood sugar. In other words, it helps your body’s production of insulin to work better so you need less of it to do a better job. Less burnout = less diabetes.

Unfortunately, most people have no idea where to start when it comes to exercise.

Many doctors tell their patients (even those without diabetes) that it’s important but they never tell them how. Just telling people to exercise without giving them specific instructions on how to do it simply won’t work. It’s like trying to explain the feeling of snow to someone who grew up in the South Pacific.

The fact is, weight lifting, isometrics, and moderate intensity aerobic activity are all important for different reasons. But I may as well have written that sentence in Greek, given how many doctors could even begin to explain the difference between these types of exercise to their patients.

And that’s where personal training comes in. Trainers are there to make sure you get all the benefits of each type of exercise without overdoing it, or risking injury.

The problem is, it is impossible to get an insurance company to pay for a medically supervised training session (and, yes, they can be on the expensive side). Yet they think nothing of doling out $250,000 for bypass surgery.

This is yet another example of how the mainstream medical system is bamboozling you into being sick.

But just because the powers-that-be aren’t willing to invest in your health doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Gym memberships can be surprisingly inexpensive. Your local YMCA is a good place to start, but shop around for the best deal. If you find a different gym that you prefer but is more than you can afford to spend, ask to speak to the manager–they may be able to offer you a discounted rate.

And when you’re looking for a gym, be sure to ask about their personal training programs. Many gyms offer discounted training sessions to their members–and, in many cases, the initial few sessions are free. Explain to the trainer your health concerns, and ask him or her to help you devise a workout regimen to fit your needs.

Whether or not you join a gym or enlist the help of a personal trainer, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to simply get moving! Like I’ve said before, every little bit helps. Even that 15-minute after-dinner stroll makes a difference.

But whatever you do, don’t be a “weekend warrior.”


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