Muscles aren’t just for showing off, they might help reduce the onset and intensity of diabetes type 2.Any type of exercise counts for lowering insulin resistance at any age so get out there and work those stairs to stay in top shape and feel great.
“Does muscle mass reduce diabetes?” you’re probably thinking by now and medical scientists are surprised too but all the research shows it’s true. Each body is unique but they all weaken as we get older so here’s two universal tips to help you get the best out of your body.
DO BETTER EXERCISE
The first instinct you might have is to buy the largest dumbbell, work it a couple times, get nowhere and roll it under the bed, never to be seen again. The first instinct is wrong and will have you waste your money, time, energy and space while possibly leading to injury and loss of hope.
Especially if you’re skinny fat it will take a lot of time to get started and progress will be slow. This is normal so don’t get discouraged.
MUSCLE HARNESS
Muscles cover your body from head to toe and always move in unison as intertwined muscle groups. If you’ve never exercised before,some muscles may be very delicate and prone to injury because they’ve been unused for so long.
Muscles are bound to bones with tough bands of tissue – tendons function as natural seat belts and weaken if not exercisedregularly. Long periods of sitting cause hunched over posture as tendons lose strength so gently stretch whenever you can and pull your shoulders back.
WATCHING YOURSELF
Listen to your body and observe the discomfort and pain it’s showing as you’re exercising to notice areas of weakness. Slowly work through the discomfort but don’t ignore the pain and stop when it hurts.
The best exercise intensity is the one you can maintain for at least 15 minutes with ease. Don’t go for quick bursts of activity or you’ll burn out; pace yourself and try to maintain the same intensity for the longest time possible.
CARDIO VS. STRENGTH
There are two types of exercise:
- cardio
- strength
Strength exercise builds up muscle and cardio jogs the body so the first lesson is to always do cardio before strength exercise to lessen soreness and lower your cortisol levels.
Cardio increases your heartbeat, increases blood flow to the muscles and speeds up your metabolism. If it makes you break a sweatit’s cardio and you should do it daily for as long as you’re comfortable with.
Strength exerciseis putting proper pressure on muscles and tendons to keep them healthy. Research exercises thoroughly before doing them to minimize the risk of injury.
LEARN THE SQUAT
The most powerful strength exercise is the squat:
- requires least space (wherever you can stand)
- works all major muscle groups in the body
- corrects posture
- uses body fat as added weight
Learn how to do a squat since it’s involved in nearly all strength exercise and do it whenever picking anything up from the ground – your spine will thank you.
EAT MORE PROTEIN
8% of healthy body weight should be muscle protein. The body needs protein on a daily basis and if you don’t get enough the body eats its own muscles in a process called “catabolism”.
If you eat plenty of protein the body will go into an anabolic state and build up muscles as stores of protein. The two are closely tied together and are a natural part of life.
ALL YOU CAN GET
Recommended daily protein intake is 1 gram per 1 kilogram of body weight but you can’t get too much protein. Any excess is flushed out through kidneys provided you’re drinking enough water.
You are staying hydrated, aren’t you?
LEARN FROM THE BEST
Our body can get energy in three ways:
- fat
- sugar (carbs)
- protein
Out of the three, protein is the healthiest, most satiating and the one you should be focusing on.
Athletes get about 50% of their calories from protein, 45% from carbs and 5% from fat. Fat needs to be used just so far as it enhances the taste, not more.
FATTY WEIGHTS
Eating too much fat and sugar (including bread and grains) leads to increased insulin production, high blood sugar levels and creation of body fat. This body fat then becomes a separate organ of its own, releasing inflammatory agents.
Whenever possible try to keep your fat and sugar intake under control to avoid the creation of fat cells, called adipocytes. Once created, adipocytes are very difficult to remove naturally.
Eating less calories than you’re spending strengthens your body but spacing out meals helps too. One study shows that intermittent fasting has the same health benefits as exercise.
MEAT OF THE ISSUE
The most abundant source of protein in our diet is meat. We need a lot of meat to build up muscles so eat 1-2 meals a day and make them meaty.
White meat (poultry, fish) is healthier and has less saturated fat than red meat. Ovo-vegetarians can eat eggs and seeds for protein.
Eventually not even meat will have enough protein, so you will switch to protein supplements. The idea is that drinkable proteinis gulped down faster than you can cook and chew through slabs of meat.
Always consume protein before any exercise or the body will destroy muscle to satisfy its own protein needs. In other words, don’t work out on an empty stomach.
CONCLUSION
Our bodies are complex machines. They sometimes ache without a reason and work behind the scenes on their own when we’re unconscious.
It’s a tragedy nobody tells us how they work until we’re well into advanced age. By that time we often develop a slew of chronic problems, such as obesity and diabetes.
Trying to correct your life can seem like mission impossible, but you can do it. Through proper exercise and diet, you can slow down any kind of disease and lessen the symptoms.
You should always ask for professional medical advice before trying to heal yourself but you also need to fight on your own every day. Find a community where you can ask for advice, research how the body works, exercise and eat protein to stay strong, beautiful and young in your muscles for the rest of your life.
