High intensity exercise and blood sugar. It's easier than you think

Let’s get straight to the point here (I’m keeping it high intensity).  Exercise is a great way to improve blood glucose.  Pretty much any form of exercise will help.  This article is for those who want to get the biggest bang for their buck.

High intensity exercise (HIE)

In a study on both diabetics and non-diabetics, high intensity exercise improved blood sugar for both groups.  No surprises there.

Wait! How long do I need to exercise?

You might be thinking 30 or 40 or 50 minutes of exercise a day to get noticeable blood sugar effects.  Its much lower than you think.  The researchers in this study had participants exercising for…..

Wait for it.

Drum roll please. 

Drrrrrrrrr

Just 7.5-20 minutes of HIE per week. That’s right, no typo, not daily. 7.5-20 minutes PER WEEK.  Let’s say you exercise 3 days a week, that’s 150-400 seconds of high intensity work in each of those sessions.  Pretty crazy hey?  Have a look at the Results section of the study if you don’t believe me.

How long do these benefits last?

The improvements in blood glucose last 1-3 days post-exercise for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.  Sticking to the exercise for just 2 weeks led to 13% reductions in blood glucose 2-3 days after the exercise session.

Where to go from here

Exercise (get it?) common sense here, if you’re injured, or think you’re on the verge of being injured perhaps HIE isn’t for you.  If you’re unsure, why not work with a personal trainer, osteopath or movement coach to see how you can get ready for HIE.

Don’t have the time or money for that right now? Or perhaps HIE just isn’t your thing. Going for a walk is also quite effective.