Weight Trainers Less Likely to Have Diabetes
When people choose a workout program, not a lot would go for weight training. However, a new study found that those who do weight training have reduced risk of developing diabetes.
Dr. Frank Hu and his colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston studied data on more than 32,000 male health professionals and found that 4 out of 1,000 men developed type 2 diabetes every year. Men who performed at least 150 minutes of weight training had lower risk compared to those that did not lift weights.
“This study suggests weight training is important for diabetes, and probably as important as aerobic training,” he told Reuters Health.
Weight training is a type of workout that focuses on maintaining lean body mass, preventing injuries resulting from weak muscles, and developing coordination and balance. Its health benefits include reducing stress, improving posture, minimizing risk of osteoporosis by building bone mass, and lowering high blood pressure.
Although the researchers findings did not say that weight training can eliminate diabetes risk, Dr. Hu thinks the “the benefits of weight training are real.” He added that weight training can be combined with aerobic exercise and better diet for better result.
