A disease-fighting BONUS to cardio?!

Is it just me, or does the word CARDIO often conjure up a fear of exercise?

It’s like when people hear the word, they think it’s buckets of SWEAT… your heart RACING A MILE A MINUTE… or some overzealous exercise instructor YELLING at you.

No friend, getting in your “cardio” doesn’t need to be scary.

Today, I’m going to show you exactly how it helps fend off a debilitating disease—and why you don’t need to be an exercise guru to take advantage!

According to findings from a lengthy international study spearheaded by the King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center in Saudi Arabia, the rate of incident type 2 diabetes fell by 10% for each single unit increase in baseline level of metabolic equivalents of task (aka METs)—which is a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.

In other words, cardio workouts can significantly REDUCE your risk of type 2 diabetes—and the serious complications that accompany this disease.

Now, it’s no hidden secret that exercise can help you prevent type 2 diabetes. But this is one of the first studies linking incremental increases in cardiorespiratory fitness to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

The nearly 17-year-long study looked at middle-aged men and women with health risks linked to type 2 diabetes. Using a series of treadmill stress tests, they found that over time, as their cardiorespiratory capacity increased (the ability to do more strenuous exercise), their markers and risks associated with type 2 diabetes decreased as much as 10%.

This all means that increasing your ability to do longer—and harder—cardio can prevent type 2 diabetes.

If you’re already getting your regular doses of cardio—whether on a treadmill, an elliptical, or even a bike—keep it going… and try to slowly increase how long you can work out.

And if you’re looking to jumpstart your fitness, it’s easier than you think.

Low-impact cardio movements like walking are a great way to get started without feeling worn out.

Just be sure to talk to your doctor first before starting any exercise routine… especially if you already have type 2 diabetes.

To power of cardio,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Zoler, Mitchel L. “Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Cuts Incident Diabetes Risk.” https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/966702?src=