You probably know that exercise is one of the most effective ways to naturally lower your blood sugar (glucose) levels and improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin. But if you’re looking for a quick workout routine to help, you’ve come to the right place.
Exercise works to manage glucose in two ways. Firstly, when you exercise, your muscles need glucose to function, so your muscle cells begin taking glucose from your bloodstream.
This begins immediately when you start moving, and continues for several hours after your workout is finished. This is why trends like ‘fart walking’ took off, as walking after a meal is an effective way to reduce blood sugar levels. Secondly, over time, if you exercise regularly, your body’s overall response to insulin improves.
High blood sugar can cause headaches and feelings of lethargy, so if you’re looking to boost your energy levels and lower your blood sugar in just 15 minutes, keep reading.
What is the workout?
The workout is programmed by Health and Fitness Coach Caroline Jordan. You won’t need any equipment, so you can set your best adjustable dumbbells to one side for this workout, but if you are looking to monitor your health more closely, it’s a good idea to invest in one of the best fitness trackers.
The workout is suitable for most levels, but as always, if you’re a complete beginner or you’re returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to check in with a medical professional.
Jordan runs you through a quick warmup before moving on to a cardio section and a bodyweight strength section. You’ll do each of the exercises for a minute.
Here’s the exercises involved:
- Marching with knee lifts
- Boxing punches
- Heel digs with bicep curls
- Low impact hamstring curls with press back
- Side tap with tricep kickback
- Squats and bicep curls
- Overhead press march
- Lunge with lateral raise
- Plie squat with calf raises
- Standing bicycle crunches
You’ll then move into a cooldown. The strength exercises in this workout can easily be progressed by adding a light set of dumbbells.
What are the benefits?
Aerobic exercise and strength training have been shown to provide the greatest benefit when it comes to lowering blood sugar levels. Aerobic exercise, like the marching knee lifts and boxing punches in Jordan’s workout immediately remove the glucose from your bloodstream, and can help improve your cardiovascular fitness.
Strength training has been proven to benefit long-term insulin sensitivty and helps train your muscle cells to be more responsive to insulin. Both forms of exercise can also help reduce the visceral fat in the body, which often releases hormones that counteract insulin.
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