Inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes. For example watching too much television is detrimental to your health. Every two hours you spend watching TV instead of doing something more active increases the chances of developing diabetes by 20%, it can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The unhealthy diet patterns associated with TV watching may also lead to you becoming over weight or obese.

How Does Activity Help…

  • Physical activity increases the total energy expenditure, which can help you to have an energy balance or even lose weight, as long as you don’t eat more to compensate for the extra calories you burn.
  • Physical activity decreases fat around the waist and total body fat, slowing the development of abdominal obesity.
  • Weight lifting, push-ups, and other muscle strengthening activities build muscle mass, increasing the energy that the body burns throughout the day even when it’s at rest.
  • Physical activity reduces depression and anxiety. This mood boost may motivate people to maintain their exercise regimens over time.

Regular physical activity is essential to help keep blood glucose levels under control. Using your muscles more often and making them work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. This puts less strain on your pancreas. 

It is most effective when it includes a combination of both aerobic exercise ( eg. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling & Dancing) and resistance training, along with reducing the amount of time spent being inactive. Focusing more on abdominal fat and reducing waist size is paramount, abdominal exercise yields excellent results in reducing the risk.

Very hard, strenuous and sweaty exercise is not necessary to reap the benefits. Just walking briskly for half an hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%. High intensity exercises is necessary, only to get more cardiovascular benefits.

Easy Ways to Burn Extra Calories Every Day …

  • Household cleaning
  • Park further away
  • Choose a flight of stairs over a lift
  • Climb stairs over the escalator
  • Go window shopping
  • Squeeze in tiny workouts
  • Take a 2-minute walk every hour
  • Get off your transit a stop earlier
  • Go grocery shopping
  • Play with your kids
  • Cycle to work 
  • Wash your car
  • Gardening

“When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no ‘I’ll start tomorrow.’ Tomorrow is disease.”

– V.L. Allineare