November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so let’s take a close look at how strength training is one of our best tools for keeping blood sugar steady and for preventing or managing Type 2 diabetes.
As the American Diabetes Association (ADA) puts it, regular physical activity “makes your cells more sensitive to insulin so it works more effectively to lower your blood glucose.” In other words, when you exercise, your body becomes better at using sugar for energy instead of storing it as fat.
Muscle is like a secret weapon against diabetes. When you lift weights or use resistance bands, your muscles act like sponges, soaking up glucose from the bloodstream and improving insulin sensitivity.
Even modest gains in muscle mass can lead to big improvements with controlling blood sugar.
Sometimes, a doctor delivers this news, and the patient starts exercising.
One of our trainer friends told a longtime client with prediabetes, “The gym isn’t punishment. It’s your medicine cabinet.”
The Science and the Sweat
Exercise is Medicine, an initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine, explains that just one workout can improve insulin action for up to 24 hours. They call it “a prescription that doesn’t require a pharmacy.”
For mature adults, the ADA recommends:
- 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.
- Two to three strength sessions per week using weights, bands, or body weight.
- Less sitting time overall, since being sedentary can raise blood sugar even if you work out regularly.
“Even if your activities aren’t strenuous, you’ll still get health benefits,” the ADA says. A 10-minute walk after meals can help lower glucose spikes.
People who make fitness a regular habit often see their A1C numbers improve, their energy rise, and their doctors smile. One man in his 60s told his trainer, “The hardest part wasn’t learning the exercises. It was deciding to change.”
We understand that. But remember that even small steps add up. More muscle means better blood sugar control, steadier energy, and less inflammation — all benefits that make your daily life easier and healthier.
The Bottom Line
Type 2 diabetes is common but not inevitable. Building and maintaining muscle, staying active, and eating well can dramatically lower your risk. “Small changes to your lifestyle can help prevent or delay diabetes,” says the ADA.
So, work out with us a few times a week and increase your activity every day. Help your muscles help you stay strong, balanced, and in control.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.