To reduce your insulin levels, t
Here’s the good news: You can do this without making yourself huff and puff. You need your muscles to work but not so hard that they run out of oxygen, which is what makes you short of breath. You can do this by walking; you don’t need to run.
Your walking muscles are designed to work without fatigue. That’s because they’re powered by a special kind of muscle fiber called a “slow-twitch” fiber. This type of muscle fiber is designed to work continuously without rest. They can do that because they contain many mitochondria, tiny units in cells that burn fuel to produce energy. The large numbers of mitochondria in your slow-twitch fibers allow them to replace the energy they use as they are working. They don’t build up an oxygen “debt,” which is what causes muscle fatigue.
Your walking muscles comprise the largest group of muscles in your body. They contain 70% of your muscle mass. Because they are powered by slow-twitch muscle fibers, they can work continuously without tiring. Think about it; you could walk for hours without stopping. Your feet might get sore, and you might get bored, but your muscles could keep right on going. What other exercise could you do for hours without stopping? Of all the physical activities people do, walking burns the most fuel with the least perception of exertion.
Here’s the good news. Because of the large numbers of mitochondria in those slow-twitch muscles, they’re the ones you need to exercise to restore your body’s responsiveness to insulin. That’s right; the muscles that lower your insulin levels are exactly the ones that require the least amount of effort to exercise. Bottom line, you can run if you want, but the easiest way to restore your body’s responsiveness to insulin is to walk.
(If you’re wondering why obesity was rare before 1914, which is when Henry Ford started mass producing automobiles, you have your answer. Folks thought nothing of walking several miles a day to attend to their needs.)
