Aerobics Plus Weight Training Helpful to Diabetics

A mix of Aerobics and weights training helps reduce blood sugar more efficiently and effectively than the aerobics or weights training alone. A nine-month research has been carried out and published in November 24, 2010, edition of Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers' goal is to test three exercise programs that doctors could realistically recommend. The programs are (I) Aerobics alone, (II) Weights Training alone, and (III) a combination of Aerobics and Weights Training. The research has been used for participants exercising three days a week, 45 minutes each session. There was no dieting rule. It was a 100-percent exercise effect evaluation research. The lead author was Dr. Tim Church of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.

Design of Experiments
Research subjects walked on a treadmill that raised the uphill grade by 2% every two minutes for Aerobics. The regimen has been guided by trainers.

For the Weights Training regimen, research subjects worked on the upper body muscles and leg muscles, under the guidance of trainers. Weights were added as the subjects added their strength.

Results of Experiments
The experimental group of aerobics-weights combination recorded statistically significant drop in blood sugar levels compared to two control groups (Aerobics only and Weights Training only) although subjects in all three groups reduced their waist sizes. The blood sugar level reduction in the experimental group is significant enough to reduce the risk of herat attacks, strokes and other complications.

Basic Abdominal Exercises

These exercises are intended to have tight abdomen and greater flexibility around waist line.

Contraction
(1) Lie down with back on the floor and bend the knees toward yourself.

(2) Contract your abdomen muscle and try to push your back against the floor.

(3) Repeat the process desired number of times.

Synchronized Crunch-up

(1) Lay flat with back on the floor and legs straight.

(2) Bring your head slowly upright to 90-degree angle position with the lower part of the body.

(3) Go down to the original position mode of 180-degree slowly.

(4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 very quickly.

(5) Repeat steps 2 and 3 slowly.

(6) Continue the endeavor desired number of times slowly and quickly.

Inclined Crunch-up
(1) Lay flat with back on the floor and legs straight.

(2) Bend your knees toward yourself.

(3) Bring your head slowly up from the floor diagonally toward left.

(4) Return to your original position slowly.

(5) Repeat the Step 3, but this time diagonally toward right.

(6) Continue the process desired number of times.

Exercise Intensity vs. Psychological Benefit

A growing litany of literature points to a more profound psychological benefit due to physical exercises. One of the research papers I really like in this regard is Acute Psychological Benefits of Exercise Performed At Self-Selected Workloads: Implications for Theory and Practice by Attila Szabo. The research paper has been published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2003) 2, 77-87. Two experiments have been conducted. In one experiment, 96 male and female participants ran/jogged for 20 minutes in a field outside at self-selected speed. In the second experiment, 32 women participated in the identical experiment, but inside a PE Laboratory under a more controlled environment. In both experiments, readings on Profile of Mood States (POMS) inventory were recorded. The readings show a significant improvement after a 20-minute exercise irrespective of exercise intensity. There is no strong correlation--a quantitative measure of association--found between POMS readings and exercise intensity (measured in terms percentage of maximal heart rate reserve). The primary conclusion out of this study is that it does not matter how intensive exercises one performs. The positive results will be reflected in the form of psychological benefit to the individuals although health benefit may vary depending on workout intensity.

Have a Better Control Over Heart Rates

Regulating heart rates through a regimen of exercises should be one of the many toolkits in the toolbox for adults. It is important to ramp and revv up the heart rates with 10 to 15 minutes of moderately brisk workout (example--just rushing three floors up using stairs). However, the more important thing is to bring down the heart rates to the pre-workout levels quickly, and that is the key to achieve and accomplish one of the most important goals of sustaining a healthy heart. There is no magic bullet here. It is an iterative process. One may start with only 15 minutes of moderately brisk workout three days a week and recording the number of minutes it takes to bring down the heart rates to pre-workout level each time. One may adopt an analytical approach by creating a table in the following format:

Date
Number of Minutes Elapsed between the peak of heart rates and bringing it down to the pre-workout level

In Excel, One may create a two-dimensional graph over time with timeline as X-AXIS and Number of Minutes Elapsed as Y-AXIS. A falling curve over time indicates REAL PROGRESS.