Simple lifestyle prescription slashes diabetes risk

Family history of disease concerns a lot of people. Whether its cancer, heart disease, diabetes… the list goes on. 

In fact, one of the main reasons I started on my own health journey was to minimize my own risk of type 2 diabetes—and the multitude of health conditions that stem alongside it.  

And since we just yesterday talked about one dietary hack that might keep a diabetes diagnosis at bay, I thought I’d prescribe yet another lifestyle prescription that could slash your risk of this deadly disease… 

Cardiorespiratory fitness decreases diabetes risk 

In a study of more than 8,700 people from Saudi Arabia, with an average age of 46 years, research revealed a strong inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and new-onset type 2 diabetes.  

(Cardiorespiratory fitness relates to how well your body produces the energy it needs to sustain physical activity. In other words, it assesses how fit you are.) 

Researchers administered stress tests over a 15-year study period. And during a median follow-up of just over 5 years, 26 percent of participants developed type 2 diabetes.  

That’s more than one in four people!  

The good news is, for every 1 unit increase in metabolic equivalents of task (METs), diabetes risk fell by an additional 10 percent.  

(This is a unit healthcare professionals use to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. A cardiac stress test is one way to measure it—which typically starts at 1.7 mph at a 10 percent incline. Meaning the baseline exertion is pretty minimal.) 

Even better—this finding was independent of other common diabetes risk factors.  

Of course, this was just an observational study. So it can’t necessarily prove cause and effect. But it’s not hard to imagine how striving to become even just a little more physically fit might translate to powerful diabetes prevention, despite even a family history of the disease.  

I don’t know about you, but it seems like a no-brainer to me! (It’s what I did!) 

A little exercise goes a long way 

I always strive for you to be the best version of yourself. But that starts with taking your health into your own hands.  

Following a healthy diet is one way to do this, as we discussed yesterday. Adopting a regular exercise routine is another.  

And remember, as this study just found, even a little bit goes a long way.  

So if you’ve hesitated to get moving because you think you can’t achieve the amounts necessary to make a noticeable difference, allow this to be your call to action. Because anything is always better than nothing at all.  

In fact, the health benefits of daily movement are virtually endless—in combatting type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.  

Find an exercise routine that works for you… and then don’t be afraid to modify it according to your needs over the years. Which reminds me—start talking about exercise with your healthcare physician, too. And aim to achieve 150 minutes of movement weekly. 

For additional ways to stay active, even if you’re a chronic pain sufferer, check out the August 2021 issue of my monthly Logical Health Alternatives newsletter (“ALERT: Chronic pain sufferers MUST stay active”). Not yet a subscriber? Click here to become one! 

I also outline a drug-free plan for preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes in my Metabolic Repair Protocol. Click here to learn more! 

Source: 

“Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Cuts Incident Diabetes Risk.” Medscape, 01/17/2022. (medscape.com/viewarticle/966702)