Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes, including dietary modifications, stress management, underlying disease control, and regular daily exercise, help maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevent prediabetes from progressing.

Exercise helps the body use blood glucose for energy and increases cellular sensitivity to insulin. This activity also burns calories, aiding weight loss – a crucial factor for stabilizing blood sugar and slowing prediabetes progression. Individuals with prediabetes and diabetes should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, combining light activities with moderate-intensity strength training.

Walking and cycling

Walking boosts heart rate and burns calories while building lower body muscle. Engaging core, quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip muscles on inclined terrain helps burn more glucose. Begin your exercise routine with walking to allow your body to adapt. Aim for 30 minutes daily at a moderate to fast pace. You can gradually increase intensity as follows:

Week one: two 30-minute walks per week.

Week two: three 30-minute walks per week.

Week three: 4 30-minute walks per week.

Week four: 5 30-minute walks per week.

In the second month, begin increasing your walking speed, incorporating inclines, hill climbing, or adjusting the elevation on a treadmill. Individuals can also cycle about 5-10 km daily to help maintain stable blood sugar.

Cycling is suitable for individuals new to prediabetes exercise. Photo: Thuy Linh

Strength training

After mastering walking exercises during the first month, individuals with prediabetes should incorporate two full-body strength training days per week. These muscle-building exercises should be spaced throughout the week, for example, on tuesday and thursday or wednesday and friday, allowing the body time to recover and rebuild. The more time spent on muscle-building exercises, the more glucose the body uses for energy.

Strength-building exercises include: chest presses, pull-ups (using resistance bands), seated shoulder presses, glute kickbacks, bicep curls, squats, and weightlifting.

Running and high-intensity aerobics

High-intensity aerobic exercises burn more calories than low-intensity workouts. As your body adapts to the activities, you should increase your workout intensity. Instead of just walking, as in the initial weeks, try running, sprinting, or incorporate 3-4 high-intensity aerobic sessions combined with light walking throughout the week. Running increases heart rate, is safe for the lower back, and has low impact, helping regulate blood sugar more effectively. After all exercises, individuals should stretch to relax muscles and maintain flexibility.

By Anh Chi (According to Eating Well)