A study published recently in the Diabetes and Obesity research review, has shown the benefits of regular movement and how it can affect blood sugar levels in those with established diabetes.
The study, undertaken by Homer AR et al, compared the blood sugar level changes between a group that was sitting uninterrupted for 7 hours, and another group sitting but every 30 minutes did 3-minutes of simple resistance activities (half squats, calf raises, gluteal contractions and knee raises) and sitting with 6 minutes of simple resistance activities every 60 minutes
Review of the study by the magazine stated:
‘Prolonged sedentary time is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes and is a predictor of worse glycaemic control in established diabetes. So many jobs are now desk- based, and unless people very actively avoid or reduce sedentary time, people can spend many hours sitting. This small crossover study explored whether a simple brief activity intervention carried out every 30 or 60 minutes improves parameters of glucose metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes. Doing 6 minutes of simple resistance activities every 60 minutes resulted in significant improvements compared with a sitting control. This level of intervention is practical and could be implemented in the workplace.’
Regular movement, however small and simple, is important for a variety of reasons, this has now proven to be yet another advantage of taking regular opportunities for moving. This is supported and encouraged by all of us at Body of Work
Reference: Diabetes Care 2021;44:1254–63
