Diabetes Study: Structured Workouts Help

As our population continues to gain weight, more people are diagnosed with type two diabetes.

Losing weight not only makes you feel and look better, it can also wipe type two diabetes off your medical chart.

But you have to be serious about your diet and workouts. And who better to make that happen than a personal trainer.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association affirms this.

Researchers looked at two groups of people with diabetes. Both exercised for 150 minutes weekly for 12 weeks. One group worked out under a  “structured” program – supervised aerobic and weight-resistant exercises. The other group exercised according to some verbal advice.

Guess who’s blood sugar improved?

The ones who had access to the supervised, structured workouts.

It’s not that surprising. We all work out harder when there’s someone there to tell us to keep going, push through the pain and hit our goals. If nobody’s watching, we’re all tempted to take more breaks than we should and ease up on the intensity of our workouts.

But there’s more to it. If you’re new to lifting weights, a personal trainer can show you proper form so you don’t hurt yourself and so you also get the most out of the exercise. Little changes in form, repetitions and the range of motion can be the difference between strengthening a muscle or doing nothing to it at all.

Researchers also noted that diabetics were able to improve their blood sugar levels when they had nutritional advice, too. With all the different food choices out there, it’s imperative to make sure you know what you’re eating and why.

Losing weight is like so many other things that require professional advice. When you want the best results, consult an expert.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association

Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.