High blood sugar is largely influenced by diet, but exercise also plays a key role in regulation.
It enhances the body’s sensitivity to insulin while helping the body build muscle, which is very beneficial for glucose management over time.
Charmaine Dominguez, a registered dietitian who helps people reverse diabetes with a plant-based diet, recommends three types of exercise for optimal blood sugar control; squats, lunges and walking.
The dietitian told her viewers: “The first exercise I recommend is squats. Squats are amazing at utilising your glutes. And these are some of the biggest muscles in the body.
Charmaine recommended three types of exercise
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“The more you use these muscles, the more they can absorb the glucose. I usually recommend doing at least 100 squats a day.”
Compelling evidence has shown that interrupting extended periods of sitting with activities like squatting improves how the body uses insulin.
This in turn lowers blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for energy.
Another form of exercise that sets these biological mechanisms into motion is lunges, according to Charmaine.
Again, lunges use more of the leg muscles, which will ultimately help the body absorb more glucose.
“Number three is walking,” added Charmaine. “I usually recommend my clients to walk after they eat because walking is a low-impact exercise that can help you also utilise the glucose.
“If you want to ramp it up, you could also do walking lunges while you go on a walk as well.”
Dr Alasdair Scott, previously told GB News that even minimal movement is beneficial for blood sugar control, noting that any post-meal walking is better than remaining sedentary.
Building larger muscles creates a greater capacity for glucose absorption
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He explained that improving metabolic health and managing blood sugar levels becomes increasingly important as we age because the body’s tissues are less sensitive to insulin.
Echoing what Charmaine explained, Dr Scott noted that building larger muscles creates a greater capacity for glucose absorption and utilisation.
“Strength training is very important because muscles are the biggest sink for glucose,” Dr Scott explained.
“So when you eat food, you create glucose that goes into your bloodstream.”
