HIIT Training: The Cure for Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Disease and Obesity?

Exercise is medicine for diabetics. Without it, you face high blood sugar numbers. With daily exercise, including HIIT, you can actually control and manage diabetes.
Yes, exercise combined with the right diet is the medicine that controls blood sugar better than most other diabetic meds. Of course if you are Type 1, then it must be combined with Insulin.

HIIT Training: The Cure for Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Disease and Obesity?
I tend to look at what is causal in diseases of modern civilization, which all of the above fit under the umbrella, when determining what the cure is.
To apply context to the title of the article, we would ask if a lack of HIIT causes these things in the first place?
Did we become obese and diabetic because we stopped sprinting in between telephone poles? Not likely. You could make a case that our ancestors did engage in more of this fight-or-flight exercise, but I don't think it's anywhere near causal.
If it's the increasing prevalence of sugar and/or refined carbohydrates that is causing the related epidemics for example, the cure is to decrease the prevalence of this type of food in our diet.
HIIT may be helpful, but in a sense, it's just temporarily suppressing an underlying metabolic abnormality, rather than fixing it.

I do some weightlifting at least twice a week, weightlifting is a very good exercise and it keeps the shape of my chest and shoulder muscles in very good form.~

Rambodoc,
I love HIIT. The crazy thing is how few people I see in the gym doing it! It works so well and the results people get are outstanding.
Even nuttier is how none of the personal trainers in my gym recommend it to their clients. I guess they are too busy messing around with the stability boards and Swiss balls, etc.
Lifting weights is easy compared to HIIT. I love it when I see a guy doing bench presses and taking 5 minutes in between sets and acting like he is working out hard. That guy would cry like a baby if he did my sprint interval workout!
Good Post,
Rusty

Thanks so much for all the info. I've been doing super sets and compound movements for strength training, but I really like the fusion idea. Plus, I know I haven't been maximizing intensity which is all on me.
I took your advice and snuck in some HIIT during my usual steady cardio workout. I was surprised that I managed a full 10 minutes of it so maybe part of my issue with HIIT was mental and I was just psyching myself out.
Thanks again for all the good ideas.

DR,
Thanks for the comments. I agree with how awesome cold and hot compresses (I use my shower) work on the leg muscles after HIIT sprints that make you feel like you want to return your legs to the manufacturer.
I would love to know about the meditation trick in between sets. This is the time that really kills me. The ultrashort recovery time allowed between sprints. Somehow, jumping ropes doesn't kill me anywhere near as bad as sprints. Wonder why?!

Attrice,
Unless your main goal for weight training is hypertrophy, I would start by replacing 1 or more of your traditional weight lifting workouts with a HIRT style workout - High Intensity Resistance Training.
You can also add in mini HIIT workouts whenever you find time - 5 min HIITs are better than 0 minute HIITs
You can also modify your cardio workouts - ex. warm up with standard steady state cardio training for 10 or 20 minutes, then do 10 minutes of sprints, then finish off with more steady state cardio - or 1/3 cardio / 1/3 sprint / 1/3 cardio
Regarding recovery, the best thing I have found for recovery during a HIIT session is some sort of deep breathing / meditation technique. I know it sounds a little "new-agey" but if I focus and try to control my breathing, my heart rate slows down and I recover better in between sprints - I really should write about this in more detail
Now, recovery between workouts is another story.
The main stress on your body from HIIT training should be on your energy systems. Your leg muscles shouldn't get very sore from this training (as opposed to hypertrophy training)
But to help your recovery, I would recommend alternating hot and cold showers post workout. You will hate me during the cold part of the shower, but it really helps with muscle soreness. You can also do an post-workout ice massage on the muscles you just worked. Freeze a paper cup filled with water and rub the ice in the direction of your muscle fibers - down your thighs, across your chest, etc...
Once again, you will hate me during the ice massage, but it helps with soreness.
Let me know if you need more help with the HIRT program

Right now I'm only able to get in one HIIT workout per week. Any more and I find it compromises my weight lifting workout. I'm not sure how to get around that.
For someone doing weights 3 times a week, would you recommend doing HIIT on the off days? Is there any value in doing shorter sessions of HIIT (right now I do 20 minutes on the stair stepper)? And is there any way to help recovery so my legs don't fall off? :)
Sorry for all the questions, but I'm definitely convinced of the benefits of HIIT only I can't quite make it as regular a part of my fitness routine as I'd like.

Love the "Get HIITing" reference.
I'm hitting my HIIT workout tomorrow, 30 minutes up and down hills.

Much as I love the HIIT and Tabata workouts, for people with the metabolic syndrome, it would be impractical to start off with it, simply because these people would likely be unable to do it or would injure themselves trying. Going for a check up is good, but I doubt many doctors know what HIIT is all about. Seriously.
In this specific population, I would say it is better to start off gradually with mobility, bodyweight workouts and aerobic cardio, with someone constantly raising the ante for them, as they are likely to be kind to themselves on the cycle or treadmill. After a few months, go for HIIT!