Fifteen minutes of resistance exercise - light weight training, four times a week - can help improve insulin resistance, blood glucose and lower bad cholesterol in Indians, suffering from Type 2 diabetes.

In a three-month study conducted by a team of doctors from Fortis, AIIMS and Maulana Azad Medical College, 30 diabetics were found to tremendously benefit from light weight training that worked to build muscle on their shoulders, biceps, finger grip, hip, knee and muscle around their heel.

The doctors, who have reported their finding in the March issue of the international journal "Diabetes Care", found that fasting glucose decreased by 26.5% in the subjects. While total cholesterol levels decreased by 9%, triglyceride - the chemical form in which most fat exists in body and is associated with increased risk of heart disease - decreased by 20%. Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) - one of the three major types of blood cholesterol considered bad as it's elevated levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease - also decreased by 32%.

For the study, doctors recruited 30 diabetics - 22 men and 8 women - aged 24-50 years with an average body mass index (BMI) of 24 to start a resistance exercise regime. They started with lifting 1 kg-3 kg weight, 20 times for each of the 6 muscles everyday, three days under supervision of a physiotherapist and four days at home. Weights were then increased by 0.5 kg every week.

Subcutaneous fat - fat found just beneath the skin, which is a major culprit behind making Indians obese - was measured at 8 sites in the body.



Experts say that during exercise, large muscles in our arms, legs and hips are constantly moved that leads to the body taking in more oxygen by breathing faster and deeper, pumping blood more forcefully, increasing the diameter and number of small blood vessels and releases endorphins.Experts say in diabetes, weight training helps increase glucose uptake by the muscles and helps the body store glucose.