Type 2 Diabetes and Exercise – Intensifying Your Workouts
If you want to enjoy the known benefits of exercise, including better blood sugar control and weight loss, a healthy level of fitness is what you’re looking for. The hardest part of physical activity is staying consistent. It’s easy to exercise from time to time, but sticking to a routine is a notable step up from the difficulty.
If you’ve done well in this regard, give yourself some credit. What you have accomplished is no easy feat. You are now active; you may be wondering about the next step. It’s probably time to step up your workouts.
Are you ready for this challenge?
Why intensify your workouts? First, let’s briefly talk about why you should increase your intensity because you may not be sold on the idea yet. Increasing power doesn’t mean you have to…
- aspire to run on a track,
- run a race, or take
- your rowing exercise from the outdoor gym.
All it means is that you should work a little harder. So pick up your pace and challenge yourself a little more.
The benefits are numerous. Increasing fitness is at the top of the list because the best way to stimulate change in this area is to shock your body with something unexpected—within the media, of course. Increasing your intensity is the best and healthiest way to do this.
Then comes greater efficiency. In a way, you could accomplish the same feat by cycling at a moderately high intensity for 20 minutes as you could by walking for 40 minutes. There’s nothing wrong with the latter, but he says he should look for ways to improve his efficiency. Aim to spend less time or do more with that time. If you like your 30- to 40-minute walks, for example, all you have to do is walk a little faster. This will make the difference.
How to intensify your workouts. Walking faster is one way, and the same can be done with almost any type of exercise. There’s usually a faster or harder way to push yourself. But don’t go crazy. You don’t want to insult or burn yourself unnecessarily…
- with resistance training, you have more options to play with. You can increase the number of sets and reps you do in a given time by decreasing your rest periods.
- you can superset your exercises.
It is worth trying different routines to raise your intensity.
You’re doing some kind of resistance training, right? If not, you’re missing out. As beneficial as cardio is for weight loss and general wellness, resistance training shouldn’t be overlooked. Arguably, it provides more long-term health benefits than cardio exercise itself.
If there is a point to take, Increasing your intensity doesn’t mean you have to increase your volume, which means you can still work out three or four times a week. Remember: part of the focus is on efficiency.
As exercise becomes more ingrained into your lifestyle, you’ll find that emphasizing intensity over volume is the best strategy for maximizing your efforts.