Posted by 
According to researchers who studied overweight older adults at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, being sedentary for two weeks can have a dramatic impact on health which may be difficult to recover. Brief period of inactivity hasten the onset of the disease and elevate blood sugar levels among pre-diabetic patients.
Diabetes Canada Research in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and lead author of the study. Participants were asked to reduce their daily steps to no more than 1000 steps per day, the equivalent of being housebound due to, for example, illness. Their steps and activity were measured using pedometers and specialized activity monitors, while researchers tested their blood sugar levels and took blood samples during the two-week period.
The results show that adults who experience periods of physical inactivity from illness, hospitalization and bed rest, for example, are more likely to suffer harmful consequences to their overall health. Treatment of type 2 diabetes is expensive and complicated. If people are going to be off their feet for an extended period they need to work actively to recover their ability to handle blood sugar.
According to the most recent statistics from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30 million Americans have diabetes and more than 84 million are prediabetic. In Canada, Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases, with nearly 60,000 new cases reported each year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. It is the sixth leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult blindness and adult amputation.
In order for pre-diabetic older adults to recover metabolic health and prevent further declines from periods of inactivity, strategies such as active rehabilitation, dietary changes and perhaps medication might be useful. Days of inactivity causes notable reductions in skeletal muscle mass, strength and a rapid onset of insulin resistance.