Walking for 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week, improves blood sugar control and reduces the risk of complications in people with type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the Indian Journal of Diabetes.
Walking is a form of exercise that helps improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress and improve mood in people with diabetes.
Here are some interesting tips on how to walk for people with diabetes, recommended by experts.
Making healthier lifestyle changes is one of the most effective ways to control diabetes and avoid its complications.
Walking every day, whether at a moderate or vigorous intensity, helps improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. According to The Hindustan Times, several studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical activity on blood sugar regulation.
Regular physical activity should be combined with a balanced diet, medication and blood sugar monitoring to give people with diabetes the best treatment results.
Although health experts only recommend that diabetics walk for 30-45 minutes a day, there are actually numbers that they should follow to better control the disease.
“Around 10,000 steps a day would be more helpful for patients. But it is important to focus on the duration and intensity of exercise, to effectively control blood sugar levels,” shares Dr Rahul Chirag, Consultant - Internal Medicine, CARE Hospital, Hi-Tec City, Hyderabad, India .
Start with 5000 walking steps
According to Dr Priyanka Khanna, Consultant, Women's Health at Cloudnine Hospital, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, walking is a very effective form of exercise that offers many health benefits to everyone, especially those with diabetes.
She said that vigorous walking will help the average person control weight gain and increase cardiovascular endurance, leading to a reduced risk of diabetes. She cited the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association as saying that walking for 30 minutes at least five days a week will help control the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The goal should be at least 10,000 steps per walk. But realistically one can start with walking at least 5,000 steps per day.
Break down your workouts to achieve your goals
Nithya Abraham, a physician in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, says there are different types of exercise, including aerobic and anaerobic.
Among them, walking is the easiest to do. Walking at least 10,000 steps a day is ideal for diabetics. If you have difficulty walking continuously to achieve the above goal, you can completely divide the exercise into several times a day.
For example, they can walk for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes in the evening. However, Nithya Abraham still advises patients to seek medical advice before undertaking any exercise.
Benefits of walking with
According to Dr. Rahul, a recent study published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that walking 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week, improved blood sugar control and reduced the risk of complications in people with type 2 diabetes.
Another study conducted by the Indian Diabetes Prevention Programme (IDPP) demonstrated that lifestyle interventions, including regular physical activity such as walking, reduced the incidence of diabetes by 26% among high-risk individuals in India.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) also recommend that adults should engage in moderate-intensity aerobic sports-like activities for a total of 150 minutes per week.
This can be achieved through activities such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming or dancing, with walking being a convenient and accessible option for many people.
However, Rahul also noted that diabetics should combine walking with strength training exercises for better results. According to him, they should do strength training at least 2 days a week to improve their fitness as well as insulin sensitivity./.
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