Just one hour of strength training may help people with prediabetes.

In a recent study, scientists had 10 sedentary middle-aged men with prediabetes and overweight or obesity either rest or begin a one-hour bout of strength training 4½ hours before a late lunch.

The men did 3 sets of 7 exercises—leg presses, knee extensions, chest presses, shoulder presses, seated rows, pull downs, and bicep curls. Each set included 10 to 12 repetitions at 80 percent of each man’s “one- repetition maximum” (the maximum weight he could lift).

After the meal, insulin and triglyceride levels were lower on the exercise day than on the rest day. The men also burned more fat on the exercise day.

What to do

Whether or not you have prediabetes, try the Mayo Clinic’s strength exercise videos, which you can do at home. For more at-home exercise inspiration, check out our tips.

Photo: stock.adobe.com/contrastwerkstatt.