Table of Contents
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is mandatory for people having diabetes. And maintaining a healthy lifestyle does not only mean eating diabetes-friendly food at appropriate times or taking your medicines on time. These healthy habits need to teem with light or moderate exercise.
Walking is one such exercise or activity that is easy to perform. We do it every day and everywhere. Also, Walking can be quite therapeutic and relaxing.
You may ask- Is walking good for diabetes? Yes, Walking is one of the few exercises that are diabetes-friendly. A person with any diabetes can walk. Regular Walking can help control blood sugar levels.
Walking And Diabetes
Like many other exercises, Walking does not require heavy equipment or preparations. The only two prerequisites are your legs and a comfortable pair of shoes. You are then good to go.
Walking keeps the heart rate pumping. Also, Walking does not necessarily depend on the weather conditions either. You can walk indoors as well as outdoors. The choice is yours.
Although doctors recommend that diabetes patients include walking as a form of exercise in their daily schedule, there are certain things that a diabetes patient ought to keep in mind.
Some of the things to keep in mind before and while on a walk are:
- Permission from a doctor or healthcare expert is a must; it is also the first step before starting your walking journey if you have diabetes. Diabetes and walking problems go hand-in-hand, so it is always better to have approval from the doctor for the same.
- It may sound fickle but having a good and comfortable pair of shoes is necessary. Improper walking gear is mostly a cause of walking problems.
- Slow and steady wins the race. So always remember to make a slow but steady start.
- Lastly, always carry a diabetes ID and some sweet snacks or medicines; incase your glucose level drops.
4 Benefits Of Walking For Diabetes Patients
Although walking benefits people with and without diabetes alike, people with diabetes are at the receiving end of some extra benefits by walking that extra mile. Walking or jogging for diabetes has some added benefits. These are:
1- Lower The Blood Sugar:
The utmost goal of a diabetes patient is efficient management of blood sugar. Doctors recommend people with type 2 diabetes perform light and moderate exercises daily.
When performing light or moderate exercise, the heart pumps faster than usual, and the body utilizes more energy and blood glucose, ensuring the blood sugar levels do not rise.
If a diabetes patient walks daily, the chance of his blood sugar levels rising to a higher level goes down. He can focus on living a healthy lifestyle along with his medical condition.
2- Reduce The Chance Of Cardiovascular Diseases:
Walking lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and chances of heart attacks in people having diabetes.
If the blood sugar level is in control, the blood vessels will be healthy. Hence, it is essential to manage blood glucose to maintain heart health.
Apart from controlling blood sugar, Walking also helps strengthen the cardiovascular system in the body.
3- Better Sleep Manangement:
Walking also helps in better sleep management. Sleep management is essential for controlling diabetes as well.
Irregular sleep cycles or inadequate sleep can meddle with insulin production in the body, throwing glucose levels for a toss.
When a diabetes patient walks daily, his body utilizes more energy- making him tired and getting better sleep at night.
4- Acts As A Stress Buster:
Walking acts as a stressbuster as well. When you exercise, the body releases endorphins. These endorphins are hormones that boost pleasure and happiness in the brain.
Not just for diabetes patients, anyone feeling down and out can go out for a walk to elevate their spirits. Busting the stress is why morning walk is important for diabetes. Less stress means a diabetes patient can go about his day in a much more relieved manner.
Top 3 Items On Amazon Related To Diabetes And Walking
- Walking Down Your Blood Sugar – Audio CD
- Best Orthopedic Plantar Fasciitis Diabetic Men’s Walking Shoes
- Men’s Lightweight Adjustable Closure Athletic Walking Shoes
FAQs
Can Walking cure diabetes?
Diabetes is a medical condition you can only control and not get rid of completely. It is possible to lead a pretty everyday life with a few measures, even if diagnosed with diabetes.
Walking cannot cure diabetes, but yes, one can control their blood sugar levels by Walking, the most crucial criterion for managing diabetes.
Should Diabetics Exercise Before Breakfast?
People with diabetes should avoid exercising before breakfast. They shouldn’t exercise on an empty stomach as it increases the chances of lowering the blood sugar more.
They can exercise at any time of the day but not on an empty stomach.
How Long Do You Have To Walk To Lower Blood Sugar?
There is no precise answer for this one. The amount of Walking or exercise you need to lower your blood sugar varies from person to person.
For some diabetes patients, a 10-minute walk thrice a week would suffice; some would require more moderate exercises.
As a common goal, 30 minutes of Walking or any other moderate exercise can help lower blood sugar.
How Much Should A Diabetic Walk A Day?
Like we said earlier, 30 minutes daily walk can help a diabetes patient control their blood sugar levels.
Diabetes patients with more zeal for exercise can extend their daily walks from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Is Walking Good For Prediabetes?
Walking is suitable for prediabetes.
Walking helps prediabetes patients to burn more calories and lose more weight.
Does Walking Lower Blood Sugar Immediately?
Yes, Walking can lower blood sugar immediately. Walking increases the heart’s pumping and increases the energy and sugar consumption in the body. Thus, bringing down the blood sugar level.
Does Walking Reduce Fasting Blood Sugar?
Yes, Walking can lower the fasting blood sugar as well. However, moderate exercises such as Walking are not recommended on an empty stomach as they will only reduce the blood glucose level than usual.
Diabetes and Walking after meals seem better than walking on an empty stomach.
Conclusion
Walking is a diabetes-friendly exercise.
Walking is also therapeutic; it helps control the glucose levels in the body. Walking does not require any specific skill sets.
Walking has a lot of health benefits for people having diabetes. Some health benefits are blood sugar control, prevention of heart diseases, better sleep management, and stress reduction.