Sliding Scale Exercises
At Glucose Detox (GluTox), we emphasize the importance of establishing and maintaining control over your blood glucose levels. For members seeking to improve their metabolic health, and especially for those seeking to reduce overall body fat, the most important factor is keeping your blood glucose levels below 100 mg/dL for as much time as possible. When your glucose levels are below 100, your metabolism will respond by shifting its primary fuel source to fats - both from the foods you eat and from existing stores of body fat. This metabolic flexibility - the ability to shift from glucose to fats as a fuel source - is the most important factor in improving metabolic health and driving weight-loss.
As part of our program, we emphasize using fitness and exercise as a major tool for controlling your metabolism. Simple exercises can significantly improve insulin sensitivity and help manage blood glucose. Four key movements – air squats, wall push-ups, bicep curls (using a resistance band or light weights), and resistance-band rows – target major muscle groups, which is crucial for glucose uptake. For members who are comfortable using glucose monitors, a helpful heuristic is to perform one repetition for every point that your blood glucose reading is above 100 mg/dL. For example, a reading of 125 would mean 25 total reps of these exercises - maybe 15 air squats and 10 wall push-ups. While it won’t be an exact science, this rule provides an easy sliding scale to help you move towards and stay closer to your target range of under 100 mg/dL.
Why is exercise, and especially moderate intensity resistance movements, so effective in controlling blood glucose? Well, that comes down to some simple math. If you have a blood glucose level of 150 mg/dL - 50 points above your target range - that represents an excess of approximately 2.5 grams of glucose. By comparison, your muscles will on average contain 400 grams of glucose as energy stores for use during exercise! So even using just 1% of that stored energy would be enough to consume all of that excess glucose and bring your levels back into the target range. There is literally no better mechanism to restore glycemic control than by using your muscles!
Four Key Exercises
Air Squats
Air squats are the most effective exercise for improving insulin sensitivity and glycemic control because they target the largest muscles in your body - your leg muscles. Air squats are easy to do and do not require any additional equipment. Simply start from a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart and lower your hips as if sitting in a chair, keeping your back straight, chest up, and knees behind your toes. After dipping as far as your range of motion allows, straighten back up into your starting position.
Wall Push-Ups
Wall push-ups are an effective resistance movement because they work your shoulder and chest muscles while engaging your core. The movement can also be modified for all fitness levels - starting with pushing-up against a wall, to push-ups from the knees, to full push-ups on hands-and-toes. For wall push-ups, stand facing a wall, about arm's length away. Place your hands flat against the wall, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, at chest height. Lean forward, bending your elbows, until your chest nearly touches the wall. Push back to the starting position, extending your arms fully. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels throughout the movement.
Bicep Curls
Bicep curls are simple to perform and target the largest muscle group in your arm - your biceps. To perform a bicep curl, hold a resistance band handle in each hand or a light weight in each hand with palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl your arms up toward your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top. Slowly lower the weight or band back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
Standing Rows
Standing rows - either upright or lateral - are effective ways to target the large muscles in your upper back. To perform an upright row with a resistance band, stand on the middle of the resistance band, feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the handles or the band itself with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Keeping your elbows higher than your hands, pull the band upwards towards your chin, as if you were zipping up a jacket. Slowly lower the band back to the starting position.