Movement is essential for leading a good quality of life. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes can gain many benefits from walking. It’s a light-moderate form of exercise with a low-entry bar.
Even though living with diabetes requires you to be more cautious, there is a mountain of evidence to show how walking is considered to be safe and beneficial for long-term health.
Numerous studies underscore the benefits of walking for people with diabetes. In an article published by the Harvard Medical School researchers found that people with diabetes can decrease the risk of heart disease by walking a minimum of two hours every week. People who go even further and spend at least 3-4 hours a week have even better results.
It’s necessary to note that if you are someone who has been leading a passive lifestyle and wants to improve your fitness, do so mindfully. Gradually increasing your time spent walking will give your muscles time to adjust and you will be more motivated to stick to your fitness routine. Listen to your body.
Walking Helps Regulate Insulin Levels
According to diabetes.co.uk, walking will help you regulate your insulin levels. In a study conducted with people with Type 1 diabetes, one group went on a 30 minutes walk after eating and the other remained passive. Participants that went for a walk noted only a 4.5 mmol/l peak increase compared to the other group who registered a 7mmol/l increase.
Walking has many benefits and it’s easy to incorporate into your daily life. So if your destination is within walking distance, don’t take the car or public transport – walk instead! You can include a walk in the park, take the stairs instead of lifts and escalators and walk to the shop.
Consider downloading the sweatcoin app on the phone that will record the number of steps you take or purchase a watch that will do a similar job. That way you will know for how long you have walked that day and you will be motivated to take a few extra steps and reach your goal.
A study conducted on 201 people with Type 2 diabetes found that with every additional 2600 steps the level of A1c was decreasing by 0.2%.
Ready To Improve Your Diabetes?
Before you start walking more, it’s important to invest in comfortable walking shoes that will not cause you blisters or any injuries to your skin.
If you already own a pair of comfortable walking shoes, then start increasing your step count day by day to see some of the following benefits:
- Weight control
- Regulate sugar levels
- Improve mental health
- Improve heart function
- Easy for someone with low fitness levels
- Good for your joints
Walking doesn’t require you to travel to some fancy park or a gym, you can do it anywhere and it’s free!
Countless studies show that individuals with diabetes are showing signs of improvement after incorporating walking into their daily routine. Take a look at our previous article to discover all the benefits you can get from walking if you have diabetes.
