As one ages, they are more predisposed to the possibility of getting Diabetes Type II. It begins with a condition called pre-diabetes which can be controlled with medication, but a much better solution is becoming more active in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.
In a recent report published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, on a special ‘Football is Medicine’ issue, a decade-long study found that:
“patients showed an improved body composition and blood profile, with decreased cholesterol and total body fat percentage, compared with the group that only received dietary guidance. Both groups showed a similar decrease in resting blood sugar, however, the football group showed signs of greater improvement in blood sugar regulation compared with the group who only changed their diet.”
What has been found is that by regularly playing football, one’s blood glucose regulation is improved which reduces the risk of prediabetes development. As well, blood pressure decreases and there are positive changes in body composition.
The study also found that for women in their 60s and 70s, the football worked out really well with a lot of enjoyment and very positive physical results. Very few muscle-related injured were incurred and together with diet, this form of exercise was able to eliminate the turning of prediabetes into full-fledged diabetes.
