The other half of the equation

You may not want to hear this but you can’t take exercise out of the equation if you want to be healthy, get rid of diabetes, and live to be 100 (or more).

I do believe that changing your diet has to come first, which is why I don’t emphasize exercise in the beginning of my New Hamptons Health Miracle. But once you’re used to your new way of eating–which won’t take long, especially since there’s no deprivation involved–THEN it’s time to get moving.

As I’ve said before, that doesn’t have to mean running yourself ragged for hours on end every day. But some physical activity is a “must.” And now there’s some new research–published in the British Medical Journal–that has established just how important exercise is in diabetes and blood sugar disorders.

This study concluded that regular physical activity, including resistance training under the supervision of a professional trainer, improves blood glucose control and can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, along with positively affecting cholesterol and triglyceride levels, heart attack and stroke risk, mortality, and quality of life.

If you read between the lines, what this study is actually saying is you can decrease–maybe even eliminate–your need for medications for all of these illnesses (which all go hand in hand with poor blood sugar control) by exercising consistently, with a trainer.

I’ve been asking my patients to do this for almost two years–ever since I started my own five-day-per-week (no excuses!) exercise regimen with my trainer, Shane.

And I can honestly say that exercise has changed my life on many levels. So much so that right now, renovations are underway to put a gym into half of my office to make medically supervised weight- and exercise-training an integral part of my patients’ treatment protocols.

My current recommendations include 50 minutes three times per week of aerobic activity–and it doesn’t have to be jogging! Walking is just fine. Anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you sweat a little. I also recommend resistance training a minimum of twice per week.

I know this may seem like a lot but take it slow in the beginning and gradually increase the number of days and amount of time you exercise until you meet (or even exceed) these goals.

Believe me, if I can do it anyone can. I used to hate exercise and am now one of its biggest proponents.

Now, I know personal trainers can be expensive. But the health benefits you can get from this sort of medically supervised exercise are priceless. Besides, it’s a whole lot cheaper than putting hundreds of millions of Americans on five or six different medications for 30 or more years. Of course, it won’t make Big Pharma happy…But, it’s about time we stop making them happy and start making ourselves healthy.

If you’re not sure how to go about it (and getting a trainer isn’t an option), you can visit my clinic website at www.drpescatore.com/gymrats to find a simple program that will help get you started.