Most people know that diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar, and that it can be controlled, though not cured, by insulin. Fewer people know that diabetes can cause kidney damage, nerve damage, blurry vision, blindness, and heart an

d circulation difficulties. And, even fewer know that in many cases, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled without medication, by a commitment to exercise and healthy living habits.

After you eat, and the glucose you ingested leaves your intestine and enters your bloodstream, there are only two places in your body that sugar can be stored: your muscles and your liver. When your muscles are not exercised they become full of sugar, leaving nowhere for it to be stored after it enters your bloodstream. Over time, this can cause diabetes.

There are different types of exercise that help prevent the onset of diabetes, and they work in a variety of ways. To begin, there is strength training. Strong muscles help fight diabetes, because they use the insulin in your body to change excess glucose into glycogen. Your body then stores this glycogen in your body as fuel instead of storing sugar, thus lowering your blood sugar level. Moreover, when you are engaged in the actual act of lifting weights, you are using the glucose stored in your muscles as fuel to complete your exercises, resulting in a further decrease in your blood sugar level. Essentially, you empty the sugar from your muscles by exercising them.

Next is “intense” exercise. A study done at Yale, and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in January 2006, showed how exercising intensely does far more in preventing diabetes than working out at a more leisurely or moderate pace. In this study, a group of healthy, non-obese, inactive women aged 72 and older were divided into groups, and participated in hard, moderate or easy exercise training programs. All three groups burned 300 calories per exercise session, but the intense group was the only one to show a significant improvement in their ability to use sugar and suppress fat formation. In other words, when you exercise more intensely, you empty the sugar from your muscles more quickly.

But don’t let this information scare you. Jumping into strength training or an intense exercise program might sound intimidating, especially if you aren’t used to living an active lifestyle. The good news is, they aren’t the only ways to help prevent the onset of diabetes. Cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging, swimming or using an exercise bike, increases your blood flow, therefore burning the extra glucose your body doesn’t need. And, a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise will help keep your weight down, further lowering the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

Still intimidated? There’s more good news. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal showed that simply walking, running or jogging 10 000 steps per day improves your insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces your risk of developing diabetes. This study, conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, showed that middle-aged adults who increased the number of steps they took daily over a five-year period to reach 10 000, had a threefold improvement in their insulin sensitivity when compared to a similar person who increased to only 3000 steps.

10 000 sounds like a lot; it’s the equivalent of approximately eight kilometers. So while it’s an excellent goal to aim for, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get there right away. And, there is more good news: a 2006 study called the Diabetes Prevention Program shows that walking just 30 minutes per day five days per week, along with maintaining a healthy diet, can cut the risk of diabetes in half for high-risk patients.

So what does this all mean for you? It means that no matter where you are on the activity scale, or how comfortable you feel with exercise, there are steps you can take to prevent the onset of diabetes. Even better: there’s always room to grow, and new goals to strive for.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.