Most of us know that exercise is important for good health. A regular workout routine also offers a specific benefit to metabolism. Activities—such as walking, jogging, high-intensity interval training, and resistance training—can all help your body more efficiently process glucose and help keep insulin levels low, since your muscles can absorb glucose without insulin.
Research shows the amount of exercise you need to reap these benefits is surprisingly low. Moderate aerobic activity for just 30 minutes at least three times per week over an eight-week period has been shown to improve insulin resistance and glycemic control, including fasting glucose levels.
One of the best kinds of exercise you can do for your health is to take a walk within 30 minutes of eating. Why? Low-intensity exercise depends on aerobic metabolism. In the presence of oxygen, your cells convert glucose (along with fatty acids and protein) into energy. So when you go for a stroll, your body uses more glucose than if you were just sitting, but the need isn’t so intense as to prompt the production of additional glucose, the way high-intensity exercise can.
But that doesn’t mean high-intensity training (HIIT) is bad for metabolic health. You might see an acute rise in glucose during HIIT as the body mobilizes glucose from the liver to fuel the muscles, but HIIT actually improves both fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity in as little as two weeks. Both gentle aerobic exercise and HIIT lead to better metabolic flexibility (when your body can switch easily between fat and glucose depending on availability) and glucose control.
Here are three tips for using exercise to improve metabolic health:
- After finishing a meal, take a brisk walk for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, just walk briskly for a minute and a half every half hour. Either way, you'll reap significant benefits on overall daily glucose and insulin levels.
- Set a timer for every half hour to remind yourself to get up for just a minute or two to move.
- Do resistance training (like lifting weights) 2-3 times a week. This can provide a marked improvement on metabolic health.
Most importantly, don’t let concerns about timing, intensity, and duration stop you from making an effort. Every minute helps.
