Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the sugar levels in the blood are abnormally high. This happens due to two reasons, either your body is not producing enough insulinto burn away the sugars or else the insulin produced is not being utilized properly by the body, called ‘insulin resistance’.
When it comes to diabetes, walking is a lifesaver. If you do not have diabetes but someone in your family does, then you may develop it sooner than later. Walking helps to keep diabetes at bay. If unfortunately, you already are suffering from it, walk to stay away from its several complications.
As per studies, brisk walking for about half-an-hourreducesthe risk of diabetes by 30%.
When you walk briskly, your body is burning the calories to keep up with the energy requirement. And once the existing energy levels are depleted, where does the body turn to now? The sugars floating in the blood?
Yes, the body is forced to burn the excess sugars to meet the energy requirements. So even if the body isn’t producing insulin, the sugars are used up and in cases where the body had developed resistance to insulin, it is forced to use the insulin to help the sugars being converted into energy. The body has no other option here. So when we walk, our body absorbs all the sugar in the blood causing the levels to come down. This change is a temporary one though, as the sugars will shoot up again after you have your next meal.
Walking burns the belly fat. The belly fat is the biggest culprit of insulin resistance. Excess fat around your tummy causes inflammation of cells, causing them to be even more resistant to insulin. This increases your odds of developing the dreaded disease. A lean and fit body with no extra fat is the body that diabetes doesn’t wish to enter.
Does grandma finish her dinner way before her bedtime and then head out for a walk with grandpa? You thought that she eats early as her old body won’t be able to properly digest a late dinner. And the walk is something that all old people do. Well, you could take a leaf out of grandma’s book!
Right after you eat is the time when the blood sugar level is the highest. So wait for about 15 minutes after you have eaten and then go for a 30 minute walk. This helps the body to burn off the sugars and bring down the sugar levels. If you have a desk job and cannot walk after lunch, keep getting up and moving around at every small excuse- walk down to the water cooler, walk down to your colleague’s cubicle instead of using the messenger.
The benefits of walking are not restricted to managing the sugar levels alone. If you are diabetic already, walking will keep heart diseases at bay. Heart diseases are the most common and severe complications of diabetes. Walking is the best for of cardio exercises.
