Resistance Training May Help Ward Off Type 2 Diabetes, Study Says
BOSTON (CBS) - At least 1 in 3 American adults has pre-diabetes, that is, elevated blood sugar that usually progresses to type 2 diabetes if nothing is done. But now a new study finds that resistance training may be able to help.
Resistance exercises use your own body weight to build strength and include sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, squats and climbing stairs.
Researchers in China found that people with pre-diabetes who did resistance training three days a week for two years had a 65 percent lower risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes compared to people who did not participate in a formal exercise program.
They did find that aerobic exercise plus resistance training lowered the risk even more, but if you can't do more vigorous exercise, resistance training alone can make a big difference.