The Best Exercise for Beating Insulin Resistance

In this episode, we'll uncover how exercise can beat insulin resistance and boost your fertility. From the immediate effects of active muscles to the long-term benefits of improved insulin receptors and mitochondrial activity, we've got the juicy nuggets you need. We'll explore three main types of movement— aerobic, resistance, and high-intensity interval training—and discuss the most effective ways to reduce insulin resistance. Remember, it's all about consistency and finding what exercise brings you joy. So get ready to crush those sugar cravings, manage insulin resistance, and have some fun along the way.

TIMESTAMPS
00:27 Recap on "do you have insulin resistance (IR)?"
01:28 Five ways exercise deals with IR
03:38 The three main types of movement
04:23 The relative effectiveness of each type of movement at squashing IR
07:45 How long to exercise benefits last? i.e. how often do I need to move to manage my IR?
08:56 Some proven hacks to exercise consistently, my friend. 
11:53 See you next time!

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Transcript

Lycra & Leotards: Beat Insulin Resistance Through Exercise

[00:00:00] Hi, and welcome to the I'm thinking of having a baby podcast. I'm Hannah, your friendly fertility dietitian dishing out some superpower food tips to help you on your way to your dream family. In our previous episodes, we dived into the nitty gritty of insulin resistance. And how your diet can either cause it, or help treat it. 

[00:00:27] And if you've been battling unexplained fatigue, insatiable sugar cravings, stubborn belly fat that just won't budge, regular bloating, a constant need to quench your thirst and hit the bathroom and noticing changes in your skin like darker areas and skin tags... then you might be dealing with insulin resistance. 

[00:00:46] We gave you the low down on what insulin resistance is all about, including the foods you should steer clear of because they can make it worse. But hey, we didn't leave you hanging. We also spilled the secrets of the kinds of foods that can deal to insulin resistance and help you on your way [00:01:00] to a healthier future. 

[00:01:02] Today, we're shifting gears though, and getting into the sweat zone. Yep. For once we're not actually talking about food, but exercise. We're going to unpack how exercise affects insulin resistance and clue you in on the kind of workouts you should be doing. So if you exercise or not, And especially if being consistent with exercise is a struggle, this episode is packed with juicy nuggets to help you manage insulin resistance and boost your fertility. 

[00:01:28] Let's start with the most basic question. How exactly does exercise reduce insulin resistance? Not one to settle for a boring explanation, I'll give you five ways exercise deals directly to it. The first one is immediate. When we are active, our muscles need more energy. To meet this increased demand, our body starts taking out more glucose from the bloodstream, even without the help of much insulin. This process helps lower blood sugar levels. 

[00:01:57] Regular exercise has several long-term [00:02:00] effects on insulin resistance too. Like the second reason. It helps increase the number of insulin receptors on our cells. These receptors act like docking stations for insulin, allowing it to attach to the cells more efficiently. With more receptors insulin can better unlock the doors of our cells facilitating glucose uptake. 

[00:02:18] Thirdly exercise helps improve the functioning of our mitochondria. These are like tiny powerhouses that live in each of our cells. Mitochondria play a crucial role in converting glucose into energy that we can use. 

[00:02:33] Regular exercise enhances mitochondrial activity, making them more efficient at using glucose and preventing it's build up in our bloodstream. 

[00:02:43] Fourth. Exercise also helps reduce our excess body weight, which we know is closely linked to having insulin resistance. When we are active, we burn calories which can lead to weight loss or weight maintenance. Maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity and [00:03:00] reducing resistance. 

[00:03:01] Finally, exercise stimulates the release of certain substances in our body, such as adiponectin. The substances help improve the body's response to insulin and reduce inflammation. Which is often associated with insulin resistance. 

[00:03:17] So now that you know how exercise can reduce insulin resistance, let's shift and talk about you. So I'm going to guess that you listener have a preference for how you like to exercise, or at least you have a really strong dislike for types of exercise. Let's dive in and see if there are certain types of exercise that are more effective at reducing insulin resistance. 

[00:03:38] There are three main types of movement. We've got aerobic and that's continuous repetitive movements like cycling, swimming, or playing social sport. We have resistance movement like body weight. Squats or pushups, Pilates weightlifting. These are all examples of resistance exercise. And then thirdly is our high intensity interval training. And that's like sprints, or if you do, [00:04:00] F45. Or sometimes just squash with all that sprinting and need for agility. 

[00:04:05] Now each of these three different types of movement give your body, the benefits we've just spoken about, in terms of how exercise helps reduce insulin resistance. However, some of them are more effective because they use more of your body in shorter amounts of time. 

[00:04:23] Let's start with aerobic exercise. Now this isn't the most effective way to exercise, just because it's usually a big time commitment. However for those who find pavement pounding great for the mental game and the ability to zone out, this is a fabulous way to relax. And obviously there are going to be huge benefits to aerobic exercise. Absolutely. It's just not the most efficient form. 

[00:04:47] Resistance exercise, however is fabulous. Especially when you use compound movements and eccentric contractions during your workout. Uh, let me explain what the heck, I mean, by those terms. So compound [00:05:00] movements, they're exercises that work multiple muscles and joints together, giving you a more efficient and effective workout. They're like multitasking exercises for your body, helping you build overall strength and fitness. 

[00:05:13] A couple of examples of compound exercises. Think of a reverse lunge with a bicep curl or a burpee where you do a pushup on the ground, these are better than say static resistant exercises, like a single bicep curl. Or a shoulder press where you're kind of working just one muscle group at a time Think of compound exercises as a way to get more bang for your buck in terms of strength training. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can save time and still get a full body workout. They're great for building overall strength, improving coordination and boosting your metabolism. 

[00:05:49] Eccentric contractions. I want you to imagine that you are holding a dumbbell in your hand and you slowly lower it down to your side. As you are lowering the weight, your muscle is [00:06:00] lengthening, but under tension. This lengthening of a muscle while it is still contracting is called an eccentric contraction. Eccentric contractions are an essential part of various exercises and activities like lowering weights during weightlifting, descending stairs, or walking downhill. Again, these help build strength, improve control, and stability, and reduce the risk of injury. So lots of benefits. 

[00:06:23] Now high intensity interval training has the shortest time commitment, and definitely increases your body's sensitivity to insulin. A good thing. it's doing full body exercises in intervals so you have a period of rest and a period of work. And you repeat these. Because it doesn't take long this is often a great way to reap the benefits of exercise.

[00:06:45] A couple of comments though. It's important to increase the intensity gradually. So unless you're regularly doing HIIT and you're thinking about starting because it is such an effective way of reducing insulin resistance, it's a good idea to start small and work your way up. [00:07:00] Definitely keep an eye on your heart rate and please don't push yourself if you feel any niggles. When HIIT is combined with resistance exercise it becomes the most injury prone form of exercise. It's best to play it a bit safer than be out and unable to exercise because of an injury. 

[00:07:19] Now, we've just talked about those three types of exercises and which ones are more efficient at reducing your insulin resistance. And we decided that resistance exercise is fabulous because it combines compound movements, eccentric contractions, and then HIIT also is probably one of the best if you're looking for efficiency, but the point is no matter what type of exercise you gravitate towards, it has to be consistent. 

[00:07:45] Because any benefit of exercise on insulin resistance is very short-lived. So my point is if you love aerobic exercise and hate the other two, I'd much rather that you did that even if it didn't have the same effectiveness just because you're more likely to [00:08:00] do it because you enjoy it more. 

[00:08:01] So here's the thing. It doesn't take much to see improvements in your insulin sensitivity. The positive effects of exercise are seen the next day, which is awesome. 

[00:08:13] But the problem is. You can't accrue positive effects over time. You've got to keep putting money in the insulin bank because after stopping exercise, once you stop sensitivity to insulin is back to pre-exercise levels just four days later. That means, no matter what exercise you do, it's all great. As long as you can be consistent and by consistent, I mean doing it most days of the week. 

[00:08:41] And this is often where we all struggle. We know exercise is awesome, but when life gets busy, it's one of the first things to go. Can I share some things that my clients and myself have found helpful. Maybe some of these will help you and maybe they won't take what works for you. 

[00:08:56] First one different strokes for different folks. I'll be honest. I [00:09:00] hate running. I feel like I'm dying throughout and there is no second wind with me. And I've tried to like it believe me, I've run a couple of half marathons and it took me many years to accept the fact that running and I just not friends. 

[00:09:12] However the first time I tried barre, which if you haven't tried it, it's like ballet inspired HIIT. I couldn't stop smiling through the burn. It honestly brought me so much joy. I must be masochistic or something. And Pilates, exercise while lying down, yes, please! I've tried CrossFit and I've just about passed out from all the burpees. So I know my limits and my body tells me when it's not happy. 

[00:09:35] For me, I do a mix of weights. So that's my resistance, Pilates, and a wee bit of HIIT each week. But I try and keep the intensity between the range of passing out and pushing myself to see improvements. 

[00:09:47] Which leads me to my next point to keep it interesting. If you're doing the same exercises all the time, that might be okay for certain seasons of your life, but there will definitely come a time when you crave change and having the next thing [00:10:00] ready to go, or like me doing a mix of things each week means that no matter how you feel there will be some kind of exercise that you're up to doing. And remember, it doesn't matter what type of exercise you do just that you're consistent about it. 

[00:10:14] Starting small is hella important. Somehow we don't feel as heroic if we don't go all in instantly. Pause for a moment and picture yourself in peak physical fitness. 

[00:10:29] To get there. How many days are you exercising? 

[00:10:34] Compare that to how many days you're exercising now. 

[00:10:39] If the difference is more than one day. Honestly, cut yourself some slack. Going from zero to hero is a sure-fire way to fail quick. If you want to be epic, just start small. Adding in one day's exercise over a couple of months sounds less exciting, but believe me, you'll be a consistent exercise hero before you know it. And your [00:11:00] peak physical form. 

[00:11:02] Another tip I find really helps my clients is to game-ify it. I mean, you could just force yourself to exercise or you could add a bit of fun and go into it with more motivation. Have a think, what is something that you could add into your pre-exercise routine to make it more attractive? Like putting on your fav dance track as you boogie to the weights. 

[00:11:23] And the ad breaks, see how long you can hold a plank for. Buy new active wear so you feel strong and sexy. Reward yourself immediately afterwards with a long, hot shower. 

[00:11:33] Finally, bring some accountability. For some, this might be joining a challenge at a gym. Others would be getting a PT on board, but you can do free things as well. I do work out plans so I can tick it off each day and surrounding yourself with people who exercise more regularly than you is a great place to start because it will rub off. 

[00:11:53] Hey, thanks for listening to today's episode. If you have any questions or comments, honestly, shoot me an email at [00:12:00] hannah@ognutrition.co.nz. Stalk me on Instagram at ohgoodness_nutrition. And if you're in a generous mood, I'd love you to leave a cheeky review on wherever you listen to your shows. 

[00:12:11] This wraps up our little spiel on insulin resistance. Stay tuned for more fertility loving morsels soon. Ciao for now.