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# # If you have insulin resistance, should you do cardio or weight training to better control your blood sugar?
# # SKDS - Exercise is considered one of the most effective ways to improve insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin to move glucose from the blood into the cells. Over time, this condition can increase the risk of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Thuy (former doctor of the Vietnamese national and under-23 men's football teams), apart from diet, exercise is considered fundamental in the strategy to improve insulin sensitivity. However, many people ask whether cardio or weight training should be prioritized for the best results.
# # # 1. Does cardio exercise improve insulin resistance?
Cardio refers to continuous physical activities such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or aerobic exercise. During exercise, muscles require more energy and use glucose present in the blood as fuel. Due to this process, blood sugar levels can decrease during and after exercise. At the same time, aerobic activity also helps increase insulin sensitivity, meaning the body requires less insulin to process the same amount of glucose.
Another important benefit of cardio exercise is the reduction of fat accumulated around internal organs (visceral fat). This is the fat that deposits around the inner abdominal organs and is considered a major cause of insulin resistance. When visceral fat decreases, the body's response to insulin typically improves significantly. For individuals who are overweight or have a sedentary lifestyle, brisk walking for 30–45 minutes daily can be a suitable start.
# # # 2. Benefits of Weight Training
While cardio exercise expends energy, weight training brings long-term changes to body composition. Resistance exercises such as squats, push-ups, weightlifting, or resistance bands promote muscle growth. This is particularly important because skeletal muscles consume most of the body's glucose. The greater the muscle mass, the higher the capacity to absorb and store glucose. In other words, muscles act as a natural glucose "storage center," thereby reducing the burden on insulin.
Furthermore, weight training helps limit age-related muscle loss. This is very important for middle-aged and older adults because muscle loss is often accompanied by increased belly fat and decreased insulin sensitivity. Some studies suggest that regular resistance training can improve blood sugar levels in many individuals suffering from insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes just as effectively as aerobic exercise programs.
# # # 3. So, which type is better?
For many years, experts have debated whether cardio or weight training is more effective. However, most existing evidence suggests that cardio and weight training affect insulin resistance through different processes. Cardio increases energy expenditure, reduces visceral fat, and improves blood sugar levels post-exercise. On the other hand, weight training helps maintain muscle mass, increases basal metabolism, and improves long-term glucose utilization. Therefore, current guidelines generally recommend a combination of both types of exercise.
> Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with 2–3 strength training sessions, for optimal metabolic efficiency.
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# # # 4. How should people with insulin resistance exercise?
For beginners, the goal is not excessive exertion, but maintaining regularity. A simple program could include brisk walking or cycling 4–5 days a week, along with full-body strength training sessions 2–3 times a week. Exercises like squats, step-ups, push-ups, or resistance bands can be beneficial.
It is crucial to choose exercises that suit your physical condition and to continue them over the long term. In the case of insulin resistance, the effectiveness of exercise does not come from a one-time workout, but from regular exercise performed over months and years.
Therefore, instead of questioning whether to choose cardio or weight training, people prone to insulin resistance should find ways to combine both. This is considered the most effective strategy for improving insulin sensitivity, controlling blood sugar, and reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

5 morning exercises for maintaining and recovering muscle health described in the article:
# # 1. Chair Squats
* **Benefits:** Helps increase leg strength and improve balance.
* **How to do it:** Stand in front of a sturdy chair. Slowly lower yourself until your buttocks lightly touch the seat, then stand back up. In the beginning, you can use the chair's armrests or edges for support.
* **Target muscles:** It mainly targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core—all of which are essential for daily movements like standing, sitting, and walking. It also reduces the risk of falls in older adults.
# # 2. Resistance Band Exercises
* **Benefits:** Helps maintain upper body muscle mass.
* **How to do it:** Sit or stand while pulling the resistance band to strengthen the upper back, shoulders, and arms.
* **Target muscles:** It targets muscle groups that often weaken with age due to inactivity. It improves posture and makes daily tasks—like lifting or reaching for objects—much easier. Beginners should start with low resistance and increase intensity gradually.
# # 3. Brisk Walking
* **Benefits:** Increases endurance and maintains muscle function.
* **How to do it:** Walk briskly for about 20–30 minutes in the morning.
* **Target muscles:** It activates multiple muscles across the legs, hips, and core. This activity increases blood flow to the muscles, improves oxygen utilization, and builds stamina. If your health permits, you can add light inclines or short bursts of faster paces to increase efficiency.
# # 4. Incline Push-Ups
* **Benefits:** Strengthens upper body muscles safely.
* **How to do it:** Face a wall or a sturdy table, place your hands shoulder-width apart, slowly lean your body forward, and push back to the starting position.
* **Target muscles:** It strengthens the chest, shoulders, arms, and abdomen without putting excessive pressure on the wrists, shoulders, or spine. This upper body strength is vital for daily actions like opening heavy doors or lifting light items.
# # 5. Step-Ups (Stair Climbing)
* **Benefits:** Strengthens the lower body and improves coordination.
* **How to do it:** Use a low-height step or a stable platform. Step up with one foot, bring the other foot up to meet it, and then step back down. Repeat the process.
* **Target muscles:** It targets the thighs, glutes, and calves. Experts consider it one of the most beneficial functional exercises for older adults because it enhances physical coordination and balance for daily activities.
# # # Key Precautions Mentioned:
* **Consistency over intensity:** Regular, moderate physical activity yields better, more sustainable results than irregular, intense workouts.
* **Warm-up:** Always dedicate 5–10 minutes to a light warm-up before exercising.
* **Nutrition:** Combine exercise with a high-protein diet (fish, lean meat, eggs, milk, legumes, nuts) and drink plenty of water to assist with muscle recovery.
* **Medical Consultation:** Individuals with pre-existing conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, or osteoarthritis should consult a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

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# # 3 Effective Exercises for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain That Many People Overlook
**SKDS – Compound exercises help burn energy, assist in fat loss, stimulate muscle growth, and improve body toning.**
*Dr. Nguyen Trong Thuy (former doctor for the Vietnamese national and Under-23 men's football teams) stated that when trying to lose weight, many people only focus on the number of calories burned during the exercise. However, even after the workout ends, the body continues to expend energy to repair muscle tissue and restore physical balance.*
*Exercises that activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously generally burn more energy compared to exercises that target only a single part of the body. Additionally, maintaining or increasing muscle mass helps boost the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), aiding in long-term weight management.*
*The following three exercises do not require complex equipment, but they can help burn fat while contributing to strength and muscle building.*
# # # 1. Step-Ups (Stepping onto a Platform)
**A simple exercise to strengthen lower body muscles.**
Compared to squats or running, platform exercises receive less attention. However, in this exercise, the body has to lift its entire weight onto an elevated surface, forcing the major muscle groups of the lower body to work intensely.
During the step-up movement, the quadriceps, glutess, and calf muscles must constantly exert force to lift the body. This repeated loading provides mechanical stimulation to the muscle fibers, which increases strength and promotes muscle growth when done regularly.
Notably, the step-up exercise is similar to climbing stairs, which is a common activity in daily life. This exercise is suitable for many people, including beginners or overweight individuals who are not yet capable of performing high-intensity jumping exercises.
A person exercising can perform 10–15 repetitions on each leg per set and can gradually increase the height of the platform or add dumbbells to enhance the effectiveness of muscle development.
# # # 2. Weighted Walking (Farmer's Carry)
**An exercise that helps build muscles across the entire body.**
Weighted walking is an exercise that helps strengthen muscles throughout the body. The activity is quite simple: the person exercising holds a heavy object in both hands and walks a certain distance. However, to keep the body stable while walking, multiple muscle groups have to work together.
This exercise not only activates the forearm and shoulder muscles but also strongly engages the back, abdominal, glute, and leg muscles. Maintaining a continuous load throughout the exercise places significant stress on the muscular and skeletal systems, thereby increasing muscle strength and improving physical endurance.
In addition to building muscle, carrying weights while walking increases the heart rate, similar to moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, which helps boost energy expenditure during the training session.
# # # 3. Bear Crawl
**A full-body exercise that effectively supports muscle growth.**
The bear crawl is one of the exercises that activates the most muscle groups, yet it is rarely included in weight loss training programs.
In the low crawl position, the person exercising must simultaneously use the shoulder, chest, arm, abdominal, back, glute, and leg muscles to move. This activates almost the entire muscular system.
Unlike traditional cardio exercises, whose sole purpose is to raise the heart rate, bear crawl training forces the muscles to constantly generate force to support and move the body's weight. Regular practice of this type of stimulation can help increase muscle strength, improve body control, and support muscle development.
Furthermore, these exercises help improve coordination between the upper and lower body, which plays a crucial role in many daily physical activities.
# # # Conclusion
To lose weight, the goal should not just be weight reduction, but also improving the ratio of muscle to fat in the body. Losing too much muscle during weight loss can slow down the metabolism, increasing the risk of regaining weight.
A common feature of exercises like step-ups, weighted walking, and bear crawls is that **they activate multiple large muscle groups simultaneously**, resulting in high energy expenditure and muscle growth. Combined with a high-protein diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise, these workouts not only help reduce fat but also contribute to building strength, maintaining muscle, and making the body more toned.
Due to their simultaneous impact on both burning fat and building muscle, these exercises are worth including in the workout routine of anyone looking to lose weight while maintaining a healthy and fit body.