People who are overweight are more likely to have insulin resistance, because fat interferes with the body's ability to use insulin. Family history and genetics play a large role in Type II diabetes.

Low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight (especially around the waist) significantly increase your risk for Type II diabetes. The primary treatment for Type II diabetes is exercise and diet. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with Type II diabetes start a strength training program to help with blood sugar control. Some people with Type II diabetes can stop taking medications after losing weight (although they still have diabetes).

Strength training is important for everyone, but especially if you have diabetes. Regular exercise lowers your blood sugar level without medication and helps burn excess calories and fat so you can manage your weight. Increases in muscle mass from strength training are important in the management of diabetes, as well as decreasing the risk for developing complications associated with diabetes.

Strength training can help your overall health by improving blood flow and blood pressure. It decreases insulin resistance even without weight loss. It also increases the body's energy level, lowers tension, and improves your ability to handle stress.

For people with diabetes, strength training helps increase glucose uptake by the muscles and helps the body store glucose. The stored form of glucose is called glycogen. Glycogen must be replenished after exercise, so anything that helps your body to store glucose is a plus for people with diabetes. It also helps with improved blood cholesterol profiles, increased heart function, blood glucose control, and increased bone strength.

Strength training also increases your metabolism—even after you have finished with your workout. A faster metabolism not only helps you burn more calories, it helps insulin work better, too.

If you have diabetes, strength training can improve your quality of life by allowing you to continue to perform everyday activities such as walking, lifting, and climbing stairs as you get older. Strength training can also help reduce your risk for osteoporosis and painful fractures. Progressive resistance training must be done to overload the muscle. This is a strength-training method in which you constantly increase the overload to facilitate adaptation.

People with diabetes need to be more conservative when lifting heavy weights, especially if they have diabetic retinopathy. Be sure to consult with your diabetes care team for clearance.

Tone up--which could mean doing one or two exercises per body part, one to three sets of eight to 10 reps, three times per week. Although lifting weights should not produce pain during a workout, you may experience muscle soreness a day or two after a new exercise routine, which can last for 24 hours. This pain, called delayed-onset muscle soreness, is caused by changes in the muscle fibers necessary for muscle growth and repair.

Most gyms have various weight-training equipment from which to choose. People are usually started on machines since they are safer. They help stabilize your body and guide the body through the specific muscle patterns. Machines need to be adjusted to fit your body; many of the newer machines available at gyms are computerized to streamline this process. A trainer is highly recommended when starting to weight train.

About the Author

Dr. Weiser grew up in the Maryland/DC metropolitan area. He attended CW Woodward High School and graduated valedictorian. He then attended the University of Miami where he graduated with a BS in physics and minors in Mathematics, Biology, and Chemistry. He was honored with membership in Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics Honor Society), the Golden Key International Honor Society, and Alpha Epsilon Delta (the Premedical Honor Society). He was also named a Presidential Scholar two times and was named to the President's Honor Roll. Dr. Weiser then attended the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (BCDS). Upon graduation, he entered private practice. As a teenager, he competed in many Olympic Weightlifting tournaments. He was also an NFPT Certified Personal Trainer. He has recently published at book called "The Cure For Obesity: My Life's Journey." It has been billed as "THE LAST WEIGHT LOSS BOOK YOU WILL EVER NEED!" It can be viewed and purchased at www.smashwords.com/books/view/87975.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jeffreymweiserdds

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