In an age where many of us spend hours sitting at desks or in front of screens, adding a simple habit like squats into your daily routine could have a profound impact on your health.
A study suggests that performing 100 squats per day—broken up into 10 squats every 45 minutes—may significantly improve your body’s ability to control blood sugar.
Newsweek discussed the research, conducted by scientists from Zhejiang University in China and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, with Megan Koehn, a registered dietitian.
“Movements that engage lower body muscles are highly effective at lowering blood sugar and burning calories,” she said. “The muscles in our legs, glutes, and hips are the largest in the body but also among the most powerful. Their size and strength allow for greater calorie burn and glucose utilization during exercise. This is why they can make impactful changes in overall metabolism and energy expenditure.”
Breaking Down the Study
The study released in April, involved 18 overweight and obese men who were monitored over an 8.5-hour period. The participants followed one of four protocols during this time:
- SIT: Continuous sitting for 8.5 hours without any movement breaks.
- ONE: A single 30-minute walking session at 4 km/h.
- WALK: Sitting interrupted with 3-minute walking breaks every 45 minutes.
- SQUAT: Sitting interrupted with squatting breaks every 45 minutes.
The researchers aimed to understand how different forms of muscle activity, like walking and squatting, impact blood sugar levels after eating. They found that frequent, short breaks that engaged the muscles, like squats, were even more effective than a single, longer bout of walking in managing post-meal blood sugar spikes.
The Power of Lower Body Exercises
To better understand the benefits of squats and other muscle-engaging exercises, Koehn, who specializes in type 2 diabetes, told Newsweek: “The benefits of resistance exercise, including those which utilize lower body muscle groups, can help people across the board.”
On September 27, Koehn shared a TikTok video (@type2diabetescoachmegan) where she demonstrated her top five exercises for lowering blood sugar, starting with two squat variations, bridges, planks, and lunges, emphasizing that these movements can be a powerful part of any routine aimed at improving blood sugar control and overall health.
How Resistance Exercises Help Control Blood Sugar
Koehn, who lives in Seattle, Washington, stressed that resistance exercises, which build and strengthen muscles, are especially beneficial for reducing insulin resistance and preventing diabetes.
“Building new muscle increases the body’s capacity to absorb and use glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar levels,” she told Newsweek.
“Additionally, strength training improves the efficiency of existing muscle cells, enhancing their ability to respond to insulin and use glucose for energy.”
Squats for Everyone
While the study specifically looked at overweight and obese men, Koehn pointed out that these benefits extend to people of all body types, ages, and genders. “The benefits of resistance exercise, including those which utilize lower body muscle groups, can help people across the board,” she noted.
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