We’ve all heard how important physical activity is for managing
diabetes, but a new series of studies shows just how vital
exercise is to blood glucose control and just how little of it
is necessary for benefiting health. Sitting Increases Diabetes
Risk The first study, conducted by researchers at the University
of Leicester in the United Kingdom, involved 500 men and women
age 40 and older. The investigators established the length of
time the participants spent sitting over the course of a week
and also checked their levels of various chemicals associated
with diabetes and metabolic function. The researchers found that
women (but not men) who spent the longest time sitting each week
had higher blood levels of insulin, as well as of C-reactive
protein, leptin, and interleukin-6 (all markers of
inflammation), indicating that they were at increased risk of
developing Type 2 diabetes. According to lead study author
Thomas Yates, PhD, “Women who meet the national recommendations
of 30 minutes of exercise a day ma