Yoga expert shows how small workouts can reset your blood sugar level, boost metabolism

Not everyone has to rely on gym membership or fancy gadgets to keep their blood sugar in check. Simple moves, like walking, stretching, squats, or even wall push-ups, can work wonders for your metabolism, say experts.

These small bursts of activity help your muscles absorb glucose directly from the blood, even without insulin’s help. Dr Narendra K Shetty, Chief Wellness Officer, Kshemavana Naturopathy and Yoga Center, tells Moneycontrol, “When your muscles contract, they trigger special cell signals that tell your body to move sugar into cells, where it’s used as energy instead of floating around in your bloodstream.”

When we exercise, our muscles wake up tiny powerhouses inside them called mitochondria. These burn both sugar and fat, helping to clear excess glucose and reduce stored fat that can cause insulin resistance. “Regular workouts increase a special protein known as PGC-1 alpha, which boosts mitochondrial growth. This improves how the body uses glucose and fat for fuel,” Dr Shetty explains. Slowly, this process helps balance post-meal blood sugar levels and supports long-term metabolic health.

Best exercises to control blood sugar level

Dr Shetty shares a list of simple, sugar-friendly workouts:

• Brisk walking: Fifteen minutes after a meal helps muscles soak up sugar.


• Wall push-ups: Gentle yet effective for upper body and blood flow.


• Squats and lunges: Strengthen legs and support glucose uptake.


• Light stretching and yoga: Calm the mind and balance stress hormones.


• Resistance band training: Builds muscle and improves insulin sensitivity.


• Soleus push-ups: A seated calf movement that boosts sugar use even while sitting.

Says Dr Shetty, “Every small move you make is a signal to your body to use energy better and keep sugar levels steady.”

Hormones, happiness,  hidden helpers

Exercise also sparks a cascade of beneficial hormones. It raises adrenaline, noradrenaline, and adiponectin, all of which help balance blood sugar, while lowering cortisol, the stress hormone that can spike it. “Myokines, special chemicals released by muscles, play a key role too. One called irisin helps turn unhealthy white fat into brown fat, which burns energy. Another, BDNF, supports glucose metabolism in the brain,” says Dr Shetty.

Why rest is important

While movement is medicine, rest can sometimes be the better remedy. Dr Shetty advises caution for those with severe fatigue, fever, recent surgery, infections, pregnancy complications, or muscle or bone injuries. “When your body is under stress or healing, exercise can delay recovery,” he notes.

Daily movement is a natural insulin reset. Exercise encourages GLUT-4 transporters — the body’s sugar gatekeepers — to move glucose into muscles efficiently. “That means steady energy for your brain and body. It protects against both low and high blood sugar. Truly, movement is life,” says Dr Shetty.

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