Jeri Ryan, as the Seven of Nine Borg in "Star Trek: Voyager," claimed that resistance was futile. Turned out not to be the case. In space, and right here on our home planet, resistance always pays-especially if you have Type 2 diabetes and/or are pretty sedentary. According to a Canadian study published in the American Journal of Physiology, interval, resistance-based exercise does wonders for blood flow and blood vessel dilation. And the benefits persist for at least two hours after working out.
Researchers used a 20-minute, weighted-leg routine that included a three-minute warmup, seven one-minute intervals at 85 percent of peak power, one minute of recovery time between each interval, and a three-minute cool down.
Short and sweet! And that's good, because only about 39 percent of folks with Type 2 are physically active, even though it's proven to slash the risk of complications, including everything from kidney disease to heart problems. And those without Type 2 who are sedentary (sitting for eight hours or more daily), increase the risk of premature death by almost 60 percent.
We suggest that you combine the interval resistance routine with an interval walking routine (on a treadmill or outside), heading for 10,000 steps a day: Warm up for five minutes. Then walk at your regular pace for about a minute, followed by a 20- to 30-second burst of faster walking. Repeat this pattern for 20 minutes; cool down for five minutes. As you become stronger, try equal-length bursts of fast- and regular-paced activity. You'll get stronger every day.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit www.sharecare.com.
(c) 2016 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.