Why People With Type 2 Diabetes Should Start A Walking Program
Today, more than 145 million adults in the United States include walking as part of a physically active lifestyle, and this staple exercise continues to grow in popularity. After all, walking can be done just about anywhere and, for most, is as simple as putting one foot in front of the other. Exercise is an especially beneficial and critical component of the treatment plans for the nearly 28 million Americans living with type 2 diabetes. However, maintaining a fitness routine can be challenging, and while people may recognize that they need to exercise regularly, they may not know where to start. That’s why AstraZeneca and the Diabetes Hands Foundation launched the Everyday Steps walking program, which features a walking guide with 12 motivational tips to help people with type 2 diabetes start a daily walking routine – and stick with it. Dr. Sheri Colberg, a professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University and adjunct professor of internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, recognizes how walking can benefit people with type 2 diabetes. For the past two decades, Dr. Colberg’s research has been devoted to exercise and type 2 diabetes, and ultimately, the benefits physical activity has on overall health. She’s also the author of 10 health-related publications focused on type 2 diabetes. Here, she helps to address some questions about the barriers people with type 2 diabetes may face when it comes to sticking to an exercise routine and how to push past them. What are the biggest concerns you hear when you talk to people with type 2 diabetes about exercise? Dr. Colberg: I see exercise as being the biggest challenge for them. In addition to managing other components of their treatment plan, many adults with type 2 diabetes can find maintaining a fi Continue reading >>
Walking And Diabetes
Having diabetes doesn't mean you can't play sports Walking may be one of the most basic forms of exercise but it's also a very effective form of activity for helping to reduce blood glucose levels. We take a look at how walking can help, the evidence provided by research, and provide tips on how you can get more strides into your day. Walking can also be useful for lowering blood sugars that are staying stubbornly high as a result of stress or mild illness such as colds. If you are on insulin and find it difficult to reduce blood glucose despite increasing your insulin doses, you may find that a period of walking is helpful for getting your glucose levels back closer to normal levels. Note that if you are on insulin, you should test your sugar levels regularly after walking to ensure your blood sugars do not go too low. Rather than thinking about walking as an inconvenience, its better to view walking as a convenience - that is a convenient way to keep our metabolism active. Whilst many of us may feel we have difficulty in getting enough physical activity into each day , getting more activity into our day is often a matter of adjusting priorities. Here are some simply ways to increase the amount of walking you do: Deliberately park your car further away from the shops For shorter journeys, walk instead of using the car or other transport Get off the bus, tram or tube train a stop or two early Move around, where possible, during phone calls Move around during TV breaks or, better still, take a walk instead of watching TV Make a point of regularly visiting local parks or attractions Research on the effects of walking on diabetes Research studies have shown that walking can be beneficial in bringing down blood glucose and therefore improving diabetes control. [96] In a st Continue reading >>
Walking For Fitness With Diabetes
For people with type 2 diabetes, exercise is nearly as important as diet in controlling the disease. And there are few forms of exercise as easy and convenient as walking. Walking for fitness requires no special equipment other than a good pair of shoes and perhaps some reflective clothing if you plan to walk at night. You don't need an expensive gym membership or a pricey treadmill. All you need is a street, sidewalk, shopping mall, or even the hallways of your own home. In return, you'll gain greater control over your type 2 diabetes. Before you start, do get the go-ahead from your doctor: People whose type 2 diabetes is not under control should generally not pursue exercise until blood sugars are better controlled and no longer erratic. Your doctor can tell you if you're in shape to start exercising and can recommend what types of exercise would be appropriate for your physical condition as well as how to get started with a walking regimen. Diabetes and Exercise: Benefits A diabetes exercise plan should involve a combination of aerobic exercise like walking and strength training. The benefits of walking, and exercise in general, include: Lowering blood glucose levels Improving the body's ability to use insulin Reducing risk of heart disease or stroke Raising good cholesterol levels while lowering bad cholesterol levels Lowering stress levels Strengthening muscles and bones Also keep in mind that there’s walking and then there’s walking — really picking up the speed. By walking at a brisk pace, you can raise your heart rate, which gives your heart and lungs a better workout. Brisk walking also burns more calories. Studies show that people who want to receive health benefits from aerobic exercise should work out for 30 minutes a day at least five days of the week Continue reading >>
Walking May Aid Fight Against Diabetes
Here's something you should know about diabetes: Even if you already have it, you can control the disease and avoid many of its consequences. More women opting for preventive mastectomy - but should they be? Rates of women who are opting for preventive mastectomies, such as Angeline Jolie, have increased by an estimated 50 percent in recent years, experts say. But many doctors are puzzled because the operation doesn't carry a 100 percent guarantee, it's major surgery -- and women have other options, from a once-a-day pill to careful monitoring. "If you come close to doing the right thing, there's no reason you shouldn't live out a normal life," says Gerald Bernstein, MD, an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "To me, normal means age 90." And what's part of that "right thing" that Bernstein alludes to? You guessed it — walking. The combination of a healthy diet and regular physical activity such as walking can help you slim down — an important benefit because being overweight is a major risk factor for diabetes. But walking fights diabetes in ways other than weight loss. Studies are just starting to show the preventive power of fitness. The famed Nurses' Health Study, for example, found that women who worked up a sweat more than once a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 30 percent. And Chinese researchers determined that people with high blood sugar who engaged in moderate exercise (and made other lifestyle changes) were 40 percent less likely to develop full-blown diabetes. "It wasn't really vigorous exercise, either," notes Richard Eastman, MD, former director of the diabetes division of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Md. Why does walking have such protective effects? Bes Continue reading >>
Diabetes Exercise: 7 Steps To Start Walking
People are walking more. In 2005, 56 percent of adults said they went on a 10-minute walk at least once a week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010, the number rose to 62 percent. Today, about 145 million adults include walking as part of their physical activity, and it's no surprise. "Walking allows you to be more mobile," says Devon Dobrosielski, Ph.D., researcher and exercise physiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. "It builds muscle strength, which is vital to avoiding disability, frailty, and falls later in life." In just seven simple steps, you can jump on the bandwagon and start pounding the pavement today. 1. Make a Plan The best way to start a new exercise program is to schedule it. Carve time into your day and plant reminders, such as exercise clothes and shoes near your bed, to make it easy to stay on track, says Caroline Bohl, RD, CDE, a diabetes educator and personal trainer at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center in New York City. 2. Keep Yourself Motivated Build in rewards for yourself, such as listening to a radio program, music, or a book on tape while you walk. Music can help in multiple ways: It distracts from the effort and the passage of time, and it encourages you to pick up the pace, Bohl says. Or catch up with a long-distance friend on your cell phone (as long as you're safe from traffic). Walking with a partner -- human or a pet -- helps to hold you accountable. "When people get a dog, their physical activity goes through the roof," says Brett Ives, CDE, clinical outreach coordinator at Mount Sinai Diabetes Center in New York City. Join or form a walking club (check with your local American Diabetes Association office, gym, or YMCA) to socialize while you work out. Social media and smartpho Continue reading >>
How To Lower Blood Sugar? Take A 10-minute Walk After Meals, Study Says
Wondering how to lower blood sugar if you have Type 2 diabetes? Take a short walk right after your meals, say researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand. An estimated 29 million people in the United States (approximately 9% of the population) and 250,000 people in New Zealand (roughly 5% of the population) are living with Type 2 diabetes. Regular physical activity is critical for managing diabetes. To determine whether walking at a specific time relative to meals could increase the benefits of exercise on blood sugar levels, the researchers worked with 41 people with Type 2 diabetes from 18–75 years of age. The participants were randomly assigned to a group either taking a 30-minute walk each day or taking a 10-minute walk after every meal each day for 14 days. At the end of this time frame, the subjects took a 30-day break, then were assigned to the other group. The investigators used an exercise monitor to collect activity information from the participants during waking hours, and food composition tables were used to assess the dietary information the subjects provided in food diaries. Blood sugar levels were measured with fasting blood samples, blood glucose meters, and continuous glucose monitors. The researchers found that when the participants walked for 10 minutes after each meal, their blood sugar levels were an average of 12% lower than when they took a single 30-minute walk each day. Taking a short walk after dinner showed the greatest benefit on blood glucose, particularly when the meal contained a lot of carbohydrate, lowering blood sugar levels by 22% compared to taking a single daily walk. “The improvement was particularly striking after the evening meal when the most carbohydrate was consumed and sedentary behaviors were highest,” the r Continue reading >>
- Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study
- Walking after meals can lower blood sugar and reduce type 2 diabetes risk
- Type 2 Diabetes and Peripheral Neuropathy: To Walk or Not to Walk?
A Short Walk After Meals Is All It Takes To Lower Blood Sugar
Seniors are more prone to developing diabetes, but a little exercise could make a big difference. A study published today in Diabetes Care found that three short walks each day after meals were as effective at reducing blood sugar over 24 hours as a single 45-minute walk at the same moderate pace. Even better, taking an evening constitutional was found to be much more effective at lowering blood sugar following supper. The evening meal, often the largest of the day, can significantly raise 24-hour glucose levels. The innovative exercise science study was conducted at the Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) using whole room calorimeters. Loretta DiPietro, Ph.D., chair of the SPHHS Department of Exercise Science, led the study. "These findings are good news for people in their 70s and 80s who may feel more capable of engaging in intermittent physical activity on a daily basis," DiPietro said in a press release. Putting Humans in a Box to Measure Their Energy Use The whole room calorimeter (WRM), which looks like a very small hotel room, is a controlled-air environment for human study that allows scientists to calculate a person's energy expenditure by testing samples of air. The balance of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide produced varies according to the activity level of the person in the room. The WRM also measures the body’s use of different food fuels, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The 10 study participants spent three 48-hour periods in the small calorimeter rooms. Each room was equipped with a bed, toilet, sink, treadmill, television, and computer, leaving little room to move around. Participants ate standardized meals, and their blood sugar levels were monit Continue reading >>
- Walking after meals can lower blood sugar and reduce type 2 diabetes risk
- Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study
- Type 2 Diabetes and Peripheral Neuropathy: To Walk or Not to Walk?
Health: Walking For 45 Minutes Helps To Control Diabetes
People with diabetes can limit the impact of the condition simply by walking for an extra 45 minutes a day, according to scientists who found exercise helped to keep blood sugar levels in check. Scientists at Newcastle University studied people with late-onset, or type 2, diabetes. They found that walking improved their bodies' ability to store sugar and burn fat, which after a few weeks reduced the effects of diabetes. In Britain, more than 2.3 million people have diabetes. Around 90% of them have the type 2 form, which is linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. If left untreated it can lead to blood vessel damage that triggers heart disease, strokes, and can require patients to have limbs amputated. "This gives people an immediate way to help control diabetes without any additional drugs. It's a simple message," said Michael Trenell, whose study appears in the journal Diabetes Care today. Trenell's team used MRI scanners to measure how efficiently 20 volunteers, 10 of whom had type 2 diabetes, burned energy in their leg muscles before and after taking part in the eight-week trial. Each volunteer was given a pedometer and asked to walk more than 10,000 steps a day. On average, people take around 6,000 steps during their daily routine. The scans revealed that by being more active, diabetics burned 20% more fat and were able to store more sugar in their muscles. Muscles are the biggest storage depots for sugar in the body, but when they fail to absorb enough, sugar levels stay abnormally high in the bloodstream, causing damage to veins, arteries and organs. "People often find the thought of going to the gym quite daunting, but we've found that nearly everyone with diabetes is able to become more active through walking. Many people got off the bus a few stops earlier Continue reading >>
Walking Significantly Reduces After-meal Glucose
We have previously discussed the benefits of walking for warding off diabetes. Now new research from the Mayo Clinic indicates that walking after meals can help lower postmeal glucose levels in people with and without diabetes alike. As part of a larger study on after-meal glucose tolerance, researchers looked at 24 study participants, 12 of whom had Type 1 diabetes, and 12 of whom did not have diabetes. Over the course of three days and four nights, the researchers kept track of the participants in a controlled environment, noting their diet and calorie intake, monitoring their physical activity with devices known as triaxial accelerometers, and measuring their glucose levels with implantable continuous glucose monitors. The participants walked after two of their daily meals and sat after a randomly chosen third meal. Walking was conducted in intervals in which participants walked for 33.5 minutes and sat for 26.5 minutes. Overall, they walked for a total of five to six hours and 3.5 to 4.2 miles in each 24-hour period. At 4.5 hours after eating, people with diabetes had a glucose level 145% higher, on average, after inactivity than after walking. In people without diabetes, there was a roughly 113% increase at 4.5 hours after eating after inactivity compared to after walking. In general, walking began to affect glucose levels ten minutes after the exercise started and the benefits extended until five minutes after it had stopped; the improvement was roughly 30 mg/dl. Substituting other physical activities, such as hand-washing dishes, after meals might have the same blood glucose benefits, the researchers note. According to lead study author Yogish Kudva, MD, MBBS, “Minimal activity sustained for 30 minutes (walking 0.7 miles in 33 minutes) lowers post-meal glucose Continue reading >>
How Much Exercise Is Enough If You Have Type 2 Diabetes?
If you have type 2 diabetes, you should aim for about 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week, according to the American Diabetes Association. However, if you're like many newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, you may not have exercised in a long timeif ever. If that's the case, it's fine to start slow and work up. In fact, until you get a feel for how exercise affects your blood sugar (and until you get your doctor's clearance), it might be a good idea for most newly diagnosed patients to take it slow. Aerobics or strength training? The best type of exercise is one that you will do. However, a 2007 study suggested that a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training was better than either alone. The study included just over 250 adults with type 2 diabetes. All participants except for those in the control group worked out three times a week for six months. The group that did resistance training improved, as did the aerobic exercise group (both had a drop of roughly half a percentage point in hemoglobin A1C). But the best results "went to participants who did both strength training and aerobic exercise," says Ron Sigal, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and the lead author of the study. That group had about a 1% drop in hemoglobin A1C compared to their sedentary peers. "That's often the result we hope for with medication," says George Griffing, MD, professor of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Some approaches work better than others People who shoot for a specific goal (10,000 steps per day on a pedometer is a common one) tend to lose more weight than those who do noteven if they don't necessarily reach that goal. But buying a pedometer alone may not be enough to get you Continue reading >>
How Much Walking Is Best For Diabetes Control?
How Much Walking Is Best for Diabetes Control? Exercise and walking are excellent tools for controlling Type 2 diabetes and improving health for people with diabetes. Brisk walking workouts can help you maintain a steady blood sugar level and body weight if you have Type 2 diabetes. A 30-minute walk at least five days per week is recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association. Learn how you can enjoy walking and manage your diabetes. Consult your health care team to see if walking is the right exercise for you and any precautions necessary for your individual circumstances and adjustments to your medications or diet. Walking Goal: To walk for 30 minutes, with at least 20 continuous minutes at a brisk pace of 15 to 20 minutes per mile (3 to 4 mph). Walking shoes and socks: You need to protect your feet and prevent developing blisters or sores. Get fitted for flat and flexible athletic shoes at the best running shoe store in your area. Avoid cotton socks and tube socks and choose athletic socks or diabetic socks made of sweat-wicking polyester fiber. Walking clothing: You need good freedom of movement and you need to prevent chafing, which can lead to sores. Wear a fitness T-shirt and fitness shorts, warmup pants or yoga pants. Sweat-wicking polyester fabric is preferred over cotton. Where to walk: You can use a treadmill for your walking workout. If you prefer to walk outside, you should look for a walking route where you can walk withfew interruptions to cross streets. Using a track at a nearby school is an option, or look for a greenway path or a park with a walking loop. Do a foot check: Check your feet before and after each walk. You may not feel blisters and hot spots, which could develop into ulcers if not treated. Get Continue reading >>
Exercises To Lower Your Blood Sugar
It’s never too late to reap the benefits of exercise, whether you’re 45 or 95. First of all, it simply makes you feel good to move. By becoming more active, you can also lower your blood sugar to keep diabetes under control. “You don’t need to run a marathon to get results,” says Dawn Sherr, RD, of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. “Walking, swimming, and playing with the grandkids are all great ways to get exercise.” Follow these four steps to get started. If you're just starting, ask your doctor which exercise is right for you. Ask if you need to adjust your diabetes medicine before you hit the trail or the pool. Next, think about what you'll enjoy most. You’re more likely to stick with activities you like. Here are a few suggestions: Walk outdoors or indoors on a track or in a mall Take a dance class Bicycle outdoors or ride a stationary bike indoors Swim or try water aerobics Stretch Try yoga or tai chi Play tennis Take aerobics or another fitness class Do housework, yard chores, or gardening Try resistance training with light weights or elastic bands If more than one of these appeals to you, go for them! In fact, combining cardio, like walking or swimming, with stretching or balance moves gives you a better workout. Any way you move will help lower your blood sugar. When you do moderate exercise, like walking, that makes your heart beat a little faster and breathe a little harder. Your muscles use more glucose, the sugar in your blood stream. Over time, this can lower your blood sugar levels. It also makes the insulin in your body work better. You'll get these benefits for hours after your walk or workout. Just remember you don’t have to overdo it. Strenuous exercise can sometimes increase blood sugar temporarily after you stop exerc Continue reading >>
The Healthiest Walking Workout For Diabetics
Prevention may earn money from the links on this page. Why trust us? The Healthiest Walking Workout For Diabetics There's no question that walking is great for everyone: It dramatically boosts energy levels, fights fat, and protects your heart. But if you have high blood sugar, or if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, walking can be a lifesaver. (Walk off22 pounds in just 8 weeks and feel healthier with Walk Off Weight .) "Walking is one of the best types of 'medicine' we have to help prevent diabetes, or reduce its severity and potential complicationssuch as heart attack and strokeif you already have it," says JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Women who did at least 30 minutes daily of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, slashed their risk of diabetes by 30%, according to results from the Harvard Nurses' Health Study. (This is your body on walking .) Even a single 90-minute session of aerobic exercise improved blood sugar control in at-risk women, according to research from the University of Michigan. MORE: 13 Power Foods That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally Walking also shrinks the dangerous abdominal fat that raises your risk of diabetes. Excess fat around your abdomen causes inflammation in cells, making them even more resistant to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar; this increases your odds of developing the disease. A Canadian study found that women who walked briskly for about an hour a day decreased their belly fat by 20% after 14 weekswithout changing their eating habits. This science-based workout combines powerful cardio walks with toning workouts . "Together, the two build lean muscle Continue reading >>
Have Type 2 Diabetes? Try Walking After Eating
HealthDay Reporter type 2 diabetes, a short walk after eating may help lower blood sugar levels more than exercising at other times of the day, a new study shows. A measurement of blood sugar called postprandial glycemia, which has been linked with heart disease risk, averaged 12 percent lower when study participants took a walk after eating, compared with those who exercised at other times. The largest drop in postprandial glycemia, 22 percent, was achieved by walking after dinner, the study authors found. "If you have type 2 diabetes, there is a guideline to be active for at least 150 minutes a week," said study author Andrew Reynolds, a researcher at the University of Otago, in New Zealand. But, he added, "the benefits we observed due to physical activity after meals suggest that current guidelines should be amended to specify after-meal activity, particularly when meals contain a substantial amount of carbohydrates," he said. "Consider walking after you eat as part of your daily routine," he added. However, one U.S. diabetes specialist offered a caveat on that advice. Exercise is indeed part of good management and care for those with type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. But, he urged caution about the benefits of exercising right after meals. Because heart disease is common among those with type 2 diabetes, "we need to be careful in encouraging exercise after a meal, as the demands on the heart increase with meals," he explained. "This is especially important in people with heart disease, as diversion of blood from the coronary or carotid arteries to the gut is not always best for these patients." The study findings were published Oct. 17 in the journal Diabetologia. In the s Continue reading >>
Worried About Type 2 Diabetes? Walk After Every Meal
If you're at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, then take a 15-minute walk after every meal. A study, out today, shows that moderately-paced walks after meals work as well at regulating overall blood sugar in adults with pre-diabetes as a 45-minute walk once a day. And there's an added benefit of walking after every meal, especially dinner: It helps lower post-meal blood sugar for three hours or more, the research found. Walking after a meal "really blunts the rise in blood sugar," says the study's lead author Loretta DiPietro, professor and chair of the department of exercise science at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. "You eat a meal. You wait a half-hour and then you go for a 15-minute walk, and it has proven effective in controlling blood sugar levels, but you have to do it every day after every meal. This amount of walking is not a prescription for weight loss or cardiovascular fitness — it's a prescription for controlling blood sugar," she says. The Italians call the walk after dinner a passeggiata and know it aids in digestion, DiPietro says. "Now we know it also helps the clearance of blood sugar." Currently, almost 26 million children and adults (8.3% of the population) in the USA have diabetes, and about 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes. In diabetes, the body does not make enough of the hormone insulin, or it doesn't use it properly. Insulin helps glucose (sugar) get into cells, where it is used for energy. If there's an insulin problem, sugar builds up in the blood, damaging nerves and blood vessels. DiPietro and colleagues worked with 10 overweight, sedentary volunteers, who were an average age of 71. All had higher than normal blood sugar levels and were considered pre-diabetic, which means they were at Continue reading >>
