Yoga, Muscle-Toning Exercises Can Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Good news for women who like to roll out the yoga mat and lift a few weights. These forms of exercise can help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

And, when combined with aerobic exercise, the risk of diabetes drops even more, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

The study, which included nearly 100,000 women, found that for every hour of muscle-strengthening exercise in a week, the women lowered their risk of diabetes by almost 14 percent. Women who spent more than 150 minutes hour every week strengthening or conditioning their muscles cut their risk by 40 percent, according to the study.

Those who did aerobics and muscle-strengthening exercises reduced their risk by two-thirds.

Researchers set out to study diabetes prevention because the disease is becoming increasingly common worldwide.

“Type 2 diabetes, which was previously known as adult-onset diabetes, can often initially be controlled with diet and exercise, and with anti-diabetic drugs such as metformin and sulfonylureas,” the authors wrote. “However, as the disease progresses, the pancreatic beta cells, which make insulin, become impaired and patients may eventually need insulin injections. Long-term complications of diabetes, which include an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke, reduce the life expectancy of people with diabetes by about 10 years compared to people without diabetes.”

+ Do you have Type 2 Diabetes? Learn how to manage this chronic disease with group or individual counseling at Bon Secours In Motion.

+ Learn how to lift weights properly to get the most out of your workout. Read about our fitness and weight loss program.