This Diabetes-Friendly Exercise Routine Can Help You Lose Belly Fat Fast
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This Diabetes-Friendly Exercise Routine Can Help You Lose Belly Fat Fast

This Diabetes-Friendly Exercise Routine Can Help You Lose Belly Fat Fast
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Updated on July 29, 2025
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Regular physical activity is an important part of managing diabetes well. In addition to aerobic exercise, strength training can help reduce belly fat (also called abdominal, visceral, or central fat), and this fat loss can improve your insulin sensitivity, glucose levels, and risk for diabetes complications, such as heart attack, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

“Current research shows that abdominal fat is a driving factor behind the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes as well as [a factor that affects] how people manage the condition,” says Margaret Eckert-Norton, PhD, RN, a diabetes educator and adjunct faculty member at St. Joseph’s University in Brooklyn, New York.

Reduce your belly fat for better diabetes management and overall health with these expert-backed strength training exercises.

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5 Diabetes-Friendly Strength Training Exercises to Help You Lose Belly Fat Fast

Incorporate the low-impact, high-intensity resistance exercises below into your weekly workout routine and reap their strength-building, fat-burning benefits. Sprinkle them into your regular workouts or perform them all together, making sure to rest between each exercise. Be sure to check your blood sugar levels before, during, and after your workouts as well.

1. Dumbbell Squat to Overhead Press

dumbell-squat-to-overhead-press

What You Need A pair of dumbbells at a weight of your choice

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of and against your shoulders, palms facing each other and elbows pointed down toward the floor. Pull your shoulders back, and brace your core. This is your starting position.

From this starting position, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body as far as you comfortably can into a squat, keeping your torso upright as you do so. As soon as you hit the lowest point of your squat, immediately push through your heels to return to standing while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells up overhead until your arms are straight (but with your elbows not locked). This is your starting position for the rest of your reps.

 Aim for two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

2. Reverse Lunge to Single-Arm Cable Row

reverse-lunge-cable-row

What You Need A cable machine (found at most gyms) with a D-shaped handle or a resistance band attached to a sturdy object

Attach a D-shaped handle to a cable machine at knee height. You can also use a resistance band secured to a strong object, such as a pole or table leg. Stand tall facing the anchor point with your feet spread hip-width apart, and hold the handle with your right hand, your arm fully extended and palm facing inward. Pull your shoulders back, and brace your core. The cable or resistance band should have some tension, but it shouldn’t feel “heavy.” This is your starting position.

From here, take a big step back with your right foot, then bend your knees to lower as far as you comfortably can into a lunge. Pause, then pull the handle to meet the side of your torso, keeping your elbow pointed straight back behind you as you do so. Pause, reverse the row, then press through your front foot to return to standing. That’s one rep. Perform all reps, and then repeat on the opposite side.

 Aim for two to three sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg.

3. Deadlift

ez-dead-lift

What You Need An EZ curl bar (available in most gyms), dumbbells, or kettlebells in the weight of your choice

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a loaded EZ curl bar (a short barbell with two curves where your hands go) against your thighs, hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing your body. If you’re performing this exercise at home or don’t have access to an EZ curl bar, you can hold a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells with both hands, your arms straight down in front of your thighs and your palms facing your body. This is your starting position.

Keeping your core tight, back flat, and shoulders pulled back, push your hips behind you and, allowing a slight bend in your knees, slide the weight down your legs until it’s just below your kneecaps or you feel a slight pull in your hamstrings. If you’re using dumbbells or kettlebells, the weight should stay close to your legs throughout the entire move. Pause, then drive through your feet and squeeze your glutes without bending or arching your back to return to a tall standing position.

 Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.

4. Incline Push-Up

incline-push-up

What You Need A kitchen counter, a sturdy bench, a piece of furniture, or a wall

Place your hands on your surface of choice so that they’re slightly wider than your shoulders, and step your feet back behind you. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Pull your shoulders back away from your ears, and brace your core. This is your starting position.

From this position, bend your elbows and lower your chest between your hands until it nearly touches the surface. Allow your elbows to flare out diagonally from your torso; they shouldn’t be tucked behind you or out straight to the sides. Pause at the bottom, then push through your hands to return to the starting position, making sure to keep your body in a straight line as you do so. That’s one rep.

 Aim for two to three sets of as many reps as you can complete with proper form.

5. Kettlebell Swing

kettlebell-swing

What You Need A kettlebell the weight of your choice (also available at most gyms)

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell between your feet about a foot in front of you. Keeping a flat back, push your hips back and bend your knees just slightly (keeping your shins vertical) till you can grip the bell with both hands, palms facing you. With the bell still on the floor, squeeze your shoulder blades down and together so that the top of the bell tilts toward you. This is your starting position.

From here, hike the bell back between your legs. As the bell begins to swing forward, explosively thrust your hips forward to return to the standing position and drive the bell straight out in front of your body at shoulder height. (Do not pull the bell with your arms.) Allow the bell to lower on its own, then, as it nears your body, push your hips back to move immediately into the next rep.

 Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Belly Fat and Diabetes

Visceral fat is belly fat located in and around your internal organs. It’s known to secrete a variety of proteins that trigger inflammation and affect your body’s hormone levels, increasing your risk for a variety of conditions, including insulin resistance, says Dr. Eckert-Norton.

 One of the many factors at play is retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), a compound that visceral fat cells secrete that dulls the body’s sensitivity to insulin and encourages the development and progression of type 2 diabetes and its complications.

The easiest way to gauge your belly fat levels and risk of abdominal obesity–related conditions is to measure the circumference of your waist at the top of your hipbones. Measurements greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men denote abdominal obesity and chronic health risk.

The Benefits of Strength-Training for Diabetes

While everything from slashing stress to eating fewer processed foods can help combat belly fat, exercise is one of the best things you can do to reduce weight in this area and live healthier with diabetes, says Patricia Salber, MD, a California-based internist and the founder of The Doctor Weighs In. Strength training specifically can significantly lower people’s visceral fat levels even if they don’t cut calories, she says.

Resistance training is also known to help people with diabetes improve blood sugar control, encourage the body to use insulin more efficiently, increase muscle mass, and boost overall strength.

Organizations that specialize in diabetes care find strength training so beneficial for diabetes management that they recommend it two to three times per week in their care guidelines.

The best way to structure a high-intensity resistance-exercise workout depends on your current fitness level. The fitter you are, the more weight you can move with each rep and the less you need to rest between sets. As with any type of exercise, it’s also important to warm up before and cool down after high-intensity resistance training. Spend 5 to 10 minutes walking, jogging, or performing gentle body-weight exercises. Save any stretching for after your training session.

The Takeaway

  • Reducing belly fat is crucial for diabetes management, given its critical effect on insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels.
  • Incorporating strength training into your weekly exercise routine can be particularly effective in trimming your waistline and improving your insulin health.
  • Get started by adding squats with overhead dumbbell presses, reverse lunges with cable rows, deadlifts, incline push-ups, and kettlebell swings to your workout routine.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Wewege MA et al. The Effect of Resistance Training in Healthy Adults on Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass and Visceral Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. February 2022.
  2. Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. May 2023.
  3. Blood Glucose and Exercise. American Diabetes Association.
  4. Squat to Overhead Press. American Council on Exercise.
  5. Lunge to Single Arm Row. American Council on Exercise.
  6. Romanian Deadlift. American Council on Exercise.
  7. Incline Push-Up. National Academy of Sports Medicine.
  8. Santos ERT Jr et al. Effects of Six-Week Periodized Versus Non-Periodized Kettlebell Swing Training on Strength, Power and Muscular Endurance. International Journal of Exercise Science. March 1, 2022.
  9. Taking Aim at Belly Fat. Harvard Health Publishing. March 26, 2024.
  10. Nono Nankam PA et al. Retinol-Binding Protein 4 in Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunctions. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. July 1, 2021.
  11. Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
  12. Khalafi M et al. Effect of Resistance Training With and Without Caloric Restriction on Visceral Fat: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Obesity Reviews. September 2021.
  13. Anaerobic Exercise and Diabetes. American Diabetes Association.
  14. Blonde L et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan — 2022 Update. Endocrine Practice. October 2022.
  15. Warm Up, Cool Down. American Heart Association. January 16, 2024.
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Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.

She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.

Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

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K. Aleisha Fetters

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K. Aleisha Fetters is a Chicago-based fitness writer and certified strength and conditioning specialist who empowers others to reach their goals using a science-based approach to fitness, nutrition and health. Her work has been featured in various publications including Time, Men's Health, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Self, O, U.S. News & World Report, and Family Circle.  She also creates editorial content and programming for Exos, a sports performance company.

Fetters earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She has written multiple books -- Give Yourself MORE, Fitness Hacks for Over 50, My Pocket Guide to Stretching -- and coauthored The Woman’s Guide To Strength Training. She is regularly interviewed as an expert on strength training, women's fitness, and mindset. She works with trainees in person and online.

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