Most people have no idea how much goes on behind the scenes to keep blood sugar levels steady. Every time you eat, your body has a job to do. And your muscles are a big part of how it gets that job done.

We tend to hear about blood sugar only when someone has diabetes. But blood sugar can creep above a healthy range for years before a person notices anything different. Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal but still below the range used to diagnose type 2 diabetes. Finding out early gives you time to make changes that can bring those levels down.

When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, your body breaks much of that carbohydrate down into glucose, the sugar that circulates in your blood. Your pancreas releases insulin, which helps move glucose into cells where it can be used for energy or stored for later. A rise in blood sugar after a meal is a normal part of this process.

The trouble starts when cells in your muscles, liver and fat tissue stop responding to insulin as well as they used to.

This is called insulin resistance.

At first, your pancreas may make more insulin to keep up. Over time, if it can no longer make enough to meet the demand, more glucose stays in the bloodstream and blood sugar levels begin to rise.

Muscle tissue is one of the main places that glucose from a meal goes. And when you move, your working muscles can take up more glucose to fuel that movement. Regular exercise can also improve how well your body responds to insulin. That gives you two good reasons to get those muscles working regularly.

Think about how easily a whole day can go by while you’re sitting. You sit down for breakfast, sit in the car, sit at a desk and then sit in front of the TV. Even if you exercise a couple of times a week, there may still be long stretches when your biggest muscles are doing very little.

Get up and walk around the house, do a few chores or take a short walk after lunch. A few minutes of movement here and there can help break up all that sitting.

Prediabetes can improve, and some people can bring their blood sugar back into a healthy range. Regular exercise is one of the tools that can help you get there.

Start with two strength training sessions a week, with a day between sessions to recover. You can use weights, resistance bands or your own body weight. Sitting down and standing up from a sturdy chair works the muscles in your legs and hips. Pushups against a wall work your upper body. Start with a level of resistance you can handle with good form and increase it gradually as you get stronger.

Walking, cycling or swimming gives those same muscles another way to use glucose. A common goal for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking. If you’ve been inactive, start with what you can comfortably do. A ten minute walk after dinner is an easy place to begin, especially if that’s a time you can make available most days.

Your muscles need regular work to stay strong, and your blood sugar can benefit from the movement you build into an ordinary day. If you take insulin or another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, ask your health care team how to check your levels and what to carry with you when you exercise. Activity can lower blood sugar during a workout and for hours afterwards.

Everyday Factors –

Three everyday factors can influence how well your body handles blood sugar.

Spending much of the day sitting and rarely giving your muscles a chance to work.

Frequently drinking sugary beverages or eating meals built mostly around refined starches and sweets, with little fiber.

Carrying excess body fat, especially around the waist, which is associated with a greater risk of insulin resistance.

Age, family history and a history of diabetes during pregnancy can also raise your risk. People at different body weights can develop prediabetes. For people with prediabetes who have excess weight, losing about 5 to 7 percent of their starting weight through a structured program that includes healthier eating and regular activity can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Diet Matters –

What you put on your plate can make the job easier. If dinner is usually a big bowl of pasta with a little sauce, try serving a smaller portion of pasta alongside chicken or tofu and a generous helping of broccoli. The same idea works with a meal of fish, roasted vegetables and potatoes.

Fill about half your plate with vegetables such as green beans, peppers or leafy greens. Leave a quarter for protein and a quarter for a carbohydrate food such as brown rice or potatoes.

Carbohydrate foods can fit into a balanced meal. The amount you eat matters, and so does what you eat with them. Pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat or fiber can slow how quickly blood sugar rises. Try oats with plain yogurt and berries for breakfast or an apple and a handful of nuts for a snack. A whole orange also gives you fiber and generally raises blood sugar more slowly than a glass of orange juice.

Take a look at what you drink most often, too. Sweet tea, soda and flavored coffee drinks can contribute a surprising amount of added sugar. If you reach for a sweet drink every afternoon, try keeping cold water or unsweetened tea where you can see it. If you like something fizzy, plain sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon is a simple option.

Cooking at home makes it easier to decide what goes into your meals, and a few convenient ingredients can help you do it more often. Keep plain frozen vegetables, canned beans and a few eggs on hand. A skillet of vegetables and beans with leftover brown rice can come together quickly. If you cook extra chicken or vegetables at dinner, you already have part of tomorrow’s lunch ready.

It’s also worth knowing where you stand. Prediabetes usually has no obvious symptoms, so you can feel fine and still have elevated blood sugar. An A1C blood test gives you an idea of your average blood sugar over the past three months. An A1C from 5.7 to 6.4 percent falls in the prediabetes range. A fasting blood sugar test is another way to check. If you’ve had an elevated result in the past or type 2 diabetes runs in your family, ask your health care provider when you should be tested again.

Long periods of high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves. Over time, diabetes can affect your eyes, kidneys, heart and feet. Those are good reasons to pay attention early, while you have a chance to build habits that can help. If your blood sugar is already high, follow up with your health care team so you know what your numbers mean and whether medication or other treatment should be part of your plan.

Sticking to Your Plan –

Give yourself a starting point you can stick with. Pick two days to work your muscles and one meal you can make a little more balanced. If dinner is already a good meal for you, look at breakfast or lunch. If you already walk most days, add a couple of simple strength exercises. Start with the part of your day where you have the most room to make a change.

It helps to get specific. Put your walking shoes by the door if you plan to walk after dinner. Decide what you’ll have for lunch before the workday gets busy. Set your resistance band next to the chair where you’ll use it. These little decisions make it easier to follow through when you’re tired or short on time.

What it all comes down to is giving your body the tools it needs, day after day.

Use your muscles. Feed yourself well. Get your blood sugar checked when it’s time. The walk you take this evening and the lunch you put together tomorrow are both ways to take care of your blood sugar. Keep doing what fits your life and build from there.

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