Strength Training Without a Gym

Strength training is the most commonly skipped part of activity advice for diabetes, and it is worth more than its reputation suggests.

The reason is simple. Muscle is a major destination for the glucose in your blood. More muscle, used regularly, means more places for that glucose to go. This is a separate benefit from the calories you burn while exercising, which is why strength work helps even without weight loss.

The recommendation is twice a week. You do not need a gym, weights, or a trainer to meet it.

A workable starting set, done at home: sit-to-stands from a chair, wall push-ups, standing calf raises, and holding a plank on your knees. Two sets of eight to twelve of each, twice a week, is a real programme. When something becomes easy, do more repetitions or slow the movement down.

Household work counts too, more than people credit — carrying water, lifting bags of atta, and scrubbing are all loaded work.

One caution. If you have nerve damage in your feet, reduced sensation, or diagnosed eye disease, get specific advice before starting, because some movements and some straining need modifying.