- New research suggests that small bursts of movement during the day can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- The study looked at the impact on people who don’t have a consistent exercise plan.
- Doctors say regular movement is helpful for lowering your risk.
Lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes usually involves tackling a combination of changes to your diet and exercising regularly. But new research suggests that the key to meaningfully lowering your type 2 diabetes risk may be in small bursts of exercise you can do throughout the day.
The study, which was published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that doing up to four minutes a day of short bursts of moderate-intensity activity could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than a third.
For the study, researchers analyzed health and activity data from 22,706 people in the U.K. who didn’t have a regular exercise routine. During the nearly eight-year follow-up period, 665 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers specifically looked at two different types of activity: bouts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) that lasted a minute or less, and bouts of moderate- to vigorous-intensity equivalent (MV-ILPA) that lasted for up to three minutes.
The researchers found that doing about 3.9 minutes per day of VILPA lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 36%. People who did 25 minutes a day of MV-ILPA saw their risk of developing the disease drop by 46%.
Meet the experts: Richard Siegel, M.D., co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center and Endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine Weight & Wellness Center–Stoneham; Kathleen Dungan, M.D., M.P.H., an endocrinologist and professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at The Ohio State University; Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D., study co-author and professor of physical activity, lifestyle, and population health at Monash University.
“Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic diseases on the planet, projected to affect more than 1.3 billion people by 2050—around 15-20% of the world’s projected population by then—and structured exercise is still a first line lifestyle recommendation to prevent it,” says Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D., study co-author and professor of physical activity, lifestyle, and population health at Monash University. “The problem is that around four in five adults don’t do regular exercise in leisure time, and most never will.”
The findings make a case for being active in small amounts in everyday life to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, even if you don’t have a formal exercise routine in place. Here’s why.
Why might small activity bursts lower the risk of type 2 diabetes?
It’s important to note a few things first. One is that the study focused on people who didn’t have a set exercise routine in place, so it’s unclear how this may impact people who exercise regularly. Another is that the study found a link between doing short bursts of activity and a lowered risk of developing type 2 diabetes—it didn’t prove that these activity bursts lowered the risk.
Still, doctors say there are a few reasons why this can be helpful for lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. Small bursts of activity may help the body take in glucose (i.e. blood sugar) more easily, says Richard Siegel, M.D., co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center and Endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine Weight & Wellness Center–Stoneham.
It could also improve insulin sensitivity, Dr. Siegel says. (Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps to escort glucose into cells to be used for energy.) When insulin sensitivity is high, the cells can more efficiently use glucose—that’s already linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. (However, insulin resistance, which is when the body doesn’t effectively use insulin, is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.)
“The biology is essentially the same machinery that makes structured exercise protective, just delivered in smaller, more frequent doses,” Stamatakis says. “When you push up a flight of stairs or carry heavy shopping bags for a minute or two, your muscles suddenly need fuel, and they pull glucose straight out of your bloodstream to power those contractions.” Your muscles can do this even when insulin isn’t working perfectly in your body, he says.
“Do this several times a day, day after day, and you’re keeping the body’s sugar-clearing system in good working order,” Stamatakis says. “Over time, even short vigorous moments nudge your fitness upward, and fitness is one of the strongest known protectors against type 2 diabetes.”
The high-intensity bursts of brief activity could even produce more mitochondria—the powerhouse of the cells—and help people to burn more calories, even after they’re done with the activity, says Kathleen Dungan, M.D., M.P.H., an endocrinologist and professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at The Ohio State University.
But these small bursts of exercise may simply be more approachable for some people, raising the odds they’ll consistently be more active than if they were trying to follow a structured exercise plan, Dr. Siegel says. “Exercise ‘snacks’ like this are easy to do and can break up sedentary activity, which is also useful,” he says. “They do not require extra cost or equipment.”
Dr. Dungan agrees. “The traditional recommendations to incorporate 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day are actually more flexible than that,” she says. “People can break it up in short, unplanned bursts throughout the day and achieve the same benefits.”
What daily activity can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes?
The researchers broke daily activity into two categories: vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity, or VILPA, and the moderate-intensity equivalent (M-VILPA). With vigorous activity, people may feel an increase in their heart rate and may only be able to speak a few words. When they’re doing moderate activity, people will usually notice their breathing is faster. They can talk, but not sing.
Here are a few examples of VILPA, per the researchers:
- Running for the bus or train
- Power walking while doing errands
- Climbing stairs
- Carrying shopping bags or a backpack that weighs at least 10% of your own bodyweight
- Walking uphill
- Playing high-energy games with kids or pets
- Doing heavy household chores or gardening
These are a few examples of M-VILPA, according to the researchers:
- Brisk walking
- Doing household chores at a moderate intensity
- Walking while carrying shopping bags or a backpack that weighs around 5% of your bodyweight
Other ways to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
While short bursts of activity throughout the day can help to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, there are other things you can do to reduce the odds of developing the disease, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):
- Try to lose weight and keep it off. The NIDDK recommends that people with overweight or obesity try to lose 5% to 7% of their starting weight.
- Be active. Aiming to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week is ideal.
- Focus on a healthy diet. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests choosing non-starchy vegetables, lean meats, quality carbohydrates, and low-fat versions of cheeses and dressings.
When it comes to exercise, Dr. Dungan recommends just doing your best—and trying to find ways to squeeze in movement daily. “I advise my patients who struggle with exercise to work in their activity throughout the day,” she says.
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