Doing just three minutes of exercise a week could prevent diabetes, experts say
Scientists have discovered that doing just three minutes of exercise a week could prevent, and possibly treat, type 2 diabetes.
By using an exercise bike in 20-second spurts you can improve your insulin function as this will help to keep blood sugar levels low.
‘To restock after exercise, the muscle needs to take up sugar from the blood,’ says Dr Niels Vollaard, who is leading the study.
‘In inactive people there is less need for the muscles to do this, which can lead to poor sensitivity to insulin, high blood sugar levels, and eventually type 2 diabetes.
‘However, busy lifestyles have led to a lack in exercise and a massive 66 per cent of the population is no longer getting the recommended amount of exercise a week.’
The study, which was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, was conducted by scientists at the University of Bath and is now being extended.
Volunteers were asked to perform two 20-second cycle sprints three times per week, and researchers found a 28 per cent improvement in their insulin function after six weeks.
Diabetes is caused by a build up in blood sugar levels due to lack of exercise and an inactive lifestyle.
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