Can a few minutes of exercise improve blood sugar?
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If you’re living with prediabetes and worried about time, there’s good news: just a few minutes of intense exercise three times a week can improve your body’s ability to use insulin. That’s the message from new research showing that very short bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can benefit people with prediabetes—even without major weight loss.
What is prediabetes, and why does it matter?
Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. It means your body isn’t using insulin well, which increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
While doctors often recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, many people struggle to find the time. That’s where HIIT comes in—a time-saving alternative that delivers big results in small doses.
What did the study do differently?
This study looked at 70 middle-aged adults with prediabetes and tested a very short HIIT workout: three 20-second cycling sprints, done three times a week for 12 weeks. Some participants also walked more than 10,000 steps a day, while others didn’t change their activity.
The researchers measured insulin sensitivity—a marker of how well your body handles blood sugar—along with fitness levels, muscle changes, and other health markers.
The surprising results
Here’s what they found:
- HIIT alone improved peripheral insulin sensitivity by 18.5%, helping muscles use glucose better.
- HIIT plus walking improved insulin sensitivity even more, and also boosted whole-body glucose processing.
- Walking alone improved whole-body insulin sensitivity, but did not change muscle metabolism the way HIIT did.
- No group lost much weight, showing the improvements came from exercise, not weight loss.
- HIIT also improved muscle proteins linked to better insulin action and energy production.
Why this matters for busy people
The big takeaway is simple: even a few minutes of intense exercise can help your body manage blood sugar better—a major step in preventing type 2 diabetes. You don’t need long gym sessions or drastic weight loss to see results. With just one minute of total effort per session, this approach fits into even the busiest schedule.
If you can add walking on top of it, the benefits may be even greater.
Tips to try this at home (safely)
If you’re interested in using HIIT to improve your health, talk to your doctor first—especially if you have heart issues or haven’t exercised in a while. Then consider these simple steps:
- Start with low-impact HIIT, such as stationary biking or brisk walking with short sprints.
- Aim for 3 rounds of 20–30 seconds of fast movement, with a minute or two of rest in between.
- Try this 3 times per week, and gradually increase intensity as your fitness improves.
- Combine it with daily walking or general activity if you can.
Bottom line
This study shows that a small amount of high-intensity exercise goes a long way—especially for people with prediabetes. You don’t need a gym membership or hours of time. Just a few minutes, done right, can improve your insulin sensitivity and support better blood sugar control.
If time has been your excuse, it might be time to reconsider. Three minutes a week could change your health.