Research has been mounting over the years to build a case that exercise not only helps people with diabetes but also prevents type 2 diabetes. Most studies point to the general rule of thumb that a hefty 150 minutes a week is the magical number to do the trick. But what if you heard that only 15 minutes a day was all that you needed? Well, it seems that news has finally come: high-intensity interval training in 15-minute spurts can help lower the risk and prevent diabetes.
Exercise Can Cut Your Diabetes Risk
In an article published in the journal Diabetologia, it was noted that an hour of moderate to vigorous daily exercise could reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by a whopping 40%. The comprehensive look at all the current research on exercise and diabetes made this particular article an impressive one with an important message: exercise is good.
This, however, isn’t necessarily a new idea. The authors of the article came to an even bigger conclusion, though, upon reviewing all of the existing research. They realized that not only does exercise significantly reduce your risk of getting diabetes, but also the more exercise you do, the lower the risk.
Endurance Training or Intense Intervals?
Once the research community caught wind of this, they naturally started to explore exactly which kind of exercise might be best in diabetes prevention. Endurance training seemed like the obvious place to begin since it has been America’s favorite type of exercise for years. In recent decades, however, other forms of exercise have risen in popularity such as yoga, martial arts, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
While endurance exercise has always been a popular option for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, it hasn’t exactly won over the masses over the years. As a result, most Americans simply don’t exercise. Perhaps this is exactly why yoga and HIIT workouts have become so popular over the years and why researchers turned their focus to these forms instead of the traditional endurance training.
What they found was that intense exercise in short spurts, such as HIIT workouts, provides just as much benefit as endurance training. When comparing HIIT workouts with endurance training, they found similar outcomes regarding response to insulin, uptake of oxygen and the overall functioning of muscle cells.
So if this is the case, that bursts of interval training can reap the same benefits as an hour on the elliptical, then why not take 15 minutes a day to improve your health? Here are five HIIT resources that are great for beginners and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Top 5 HIIT workouts
HIIT Bodyweight Workout by SHAPE
This workout is easy to do anywhere, so long as you have 20 minutes and a strong will. Get ready to sweat!
20 Minute Beginner Workout by Daily Burn
The beginner workout is designed primarily for beginners, making it approachable for the non-athlete and the novice exerciser.
Way of Gray
Sophie has taken Instagram by storm with her bubbly personality and at-home workouts. Check out her Instagram and join her tribe for inspiration in all areas of life, including HIIT workouts.
Kayla Itsines
Like Sophie, Kayla has won over the masses with her approachable HIIT workouts and killer body. She offers an online membership so that you can access her workouts and follow along as she creates new workouts every month.
12 Minute Athlete
This is the easiest on-the-go workout regimen as it can be downloaded in an app that includes instructional videos and a built-in timer. It’s perfect for someone with little time and big goals.
[expand title=”References“]
Science News. URL Link. Accessed January 20, 2017.
Obesity Reviews. URL Link. Accessed January 20, 2017.
Science Daily. URL Link. Accessed January 20, 2017.
Diabetologia. URL Link. Accessed January 20, 2017.
PLOS One. URL Link. Accessed January 20, 2017.
[/expand]
