Walk for Good Health

Everyone knows exercise is good for you, but exercise can be walking every day.  Recent research has good news about how healthy walking is.  

Walk After Eating
For those with Type 2 diabetes this is especially important but walking after eating is a healthy practice many of us may want to consider.  Walking at any time during the day is a healthy habit.  But walking after eating a meal, seem to have special health benefits.
o   Lower blood sugar levels – every time you eat, your blood sugar goes up as your body digests the food.  Taking a walk after you eat, helps lower your blood sugar level. Those who walked after eating had 12% lower blood sugar levels than those who walked at other times a day.  Those who walked after dinner, lowered their blood sugar by a whopping 22%.   So walking anytime is good, but walking after the evening meal is an especially healthy habit.
o   Helps prevent heart disease – Higher blood sugar levels is a risk for heart disease so taking a walk and lowering those levels reduces heart disease risk.

An author of this research noted, “Consider walking after you eat as part of your daily routine.”  (Walk after eating.)  In this study, 41 people who had type 2 diabetes walked the recommended 150 minutes a week.  In the first part of the study, participants were asked to walk 30 minutes a day, whenever they chose.  They did this for 30 days.  Then in the second part of the study, participants were asked to take just a 10-minute walk after each meal and within 5 minutes of finishing the meal. 

A study in Diabetes Care, found that those who did three short walks a day after each meal, helped reduce their blood sugar levels the same as those who took a 45 minute walk a day.  This study also found a walk after dinner was especially helpful in lowering blood sugar levels.  The study authors said short walks may be especially helpful to older adults in their 70’s and 80’s as it is easier to take a short walk than a walk of 45 minutes.

Another study looked at findings from 23 different studies on how physical activity affects Type 2 diabetes.  Exercising the recommended 150 minutes a week helped lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 26%.  Those who exercised more than the 150 minutes, had an even greater benefit.    

So this week, think about walking.  Walking any time of day is good for your health but making an after dinner walk part of your routine, seems to have even more health benefits.

Sources:  (Walk after eating.), Diabetes Care, authors,  Image source:  Walking
Walk for good health.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?  ...
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to ea...
Read more