The experts all agree – walking and other exercise is needed for individuals who are suffering with diabetes. Walking is a great way to get fit and effectively manage the progression of the condition. It improves circulation, promotes weight loss, reduces stress and balances blood sugar.
Recent research that was published in the journal Diabetes Care confirms that "modest
levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of diabetes,
compared with lower levels of activity.”
The study included 1,826 people and found that about 25
percent of the people took fewer than 3,500 steps per day, and about 50 percent
of the people took fewer than 7,800 steps per day. The individuals who walked between 5,400 and
7,799 steps had between a 26 to 29 percent lower risk of developing of
diabetes.
The Harvard School of Public Health recently presented
obesity findings that “spending just one hour for a brisk walk may reduce your
genetic tendency by half. On the other
hand, a sedentary lifestyle marked by watching television four hours a day
increased the genetic influence by 50 percent.”
The daily choices that we make will impact diabetes and
our overall health status. To fully
understand the action steps to reverse diabetes we must understand the
condition, symptoms and complications of diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is caused by a problem in the way your body
makes or uses insulin. Insulin is needed to move the blood sugar into the cells
where it is stored and used for energy.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and
muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. Blood sugar cannot get into
the cells to be stored for energy and remains in the blood stream. This buildup of blood sugar in the blood is what
creates significant health problems throughout the body.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, degenerative condition as
it occurs slowly over time. Most people that are diagnosed with diabetes are
also overweight. Increased body fat makes it harder for your body to use
insulin.
The Symptoms of
Diabetes
Often, people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at
first. They may not have symptoms for many years. This “silent” condition also increases the
risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
The early symptoms of diabetes may include:
• Bladder, kidney, skin, or other
infections that are more frequent or heal slowly
• Fatigue
• Hunger
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
The first
symptom may also be:
• Blurred vision
• Erectile dysfunction
• Pain or numbness in the feet or
hands
Complications of
Type 2 Diabetes
If your type 2 diabetes isn't well controlled, there are
a number of serious or life-threatening problems that you may experience
including retinopathy, kidney damage, poor circulation and nerve damage.
Retinopathy
The leading cause of blindness in the world is
diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes
may already have abnormalities in the eyes related to the development of
diabetes. As diabetes is a progressive disease, uncontrolled diabetes will
significantly increase the risk of serious complications. It is important to control not only blood
sugar but also blood pressure and cholesterol to prevent its progression.
Kidney Damage
The risk of kidney disease significantly increases over
time. The longer that you have diabetes
the greater your risk. The complicating
factor of diabetes is that it is often undiagnosed for many years which allow
kidney involvement to be very common without even knowing.
Poor Blood
Circulation and Nerve Damage
Damage to the blood vessels can lead to increased risk of
stroke and heart attack. Damage to nerves and hardening of the arteries can
lead to decreased sensation and poor blood circulation in the feet and hands.
This will increase the risk of infections and ulcers which can in turn
significantly raise the risk of amputation.
Reverse Diabetes
Naturally
Experts agree that people should aim to walk about 8 km,
or 10,000 steps per day. This
recommendation may seem extreme but every step adds up. Take the first step to start a walking
programme today!
Starting a Walking
Programme
• Stretch for 5-10 minutes before
and after to reduce the risk of injury.
• Keep a good posture. Have your
shoulders back and chin up. This will
help breathing.
• Drink 8 ounces of water before you
begin.
• Wear shoes designed for walking.
• Your walks don’t have to be long
and strenuous to be beneficial.
Building up to 10,000
• First, check how many steps you do
now. Find out the average steps you take
each day.
• Once you know your starting point,
try to add 500 steps every week.
• Begin slowly. Walking just 5 or 10
minutes to start is perfectly acceptable if that’s all you can accomplish.
• Add 5 or 10 minutes per week. As
one continues to improve, aim for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Break it up. Several 10 to 15
minute sessions are just as effective as one longer walk.
• Find a place to walk. If one’s
neighborhood is unsafe, limit walking to daytime, walk in groups or try a
nearby school, community centre or shopping centre.
A pedometer is a device that counts each step that a
person takes. This will greatly improve
tracking the number of steps that you take each day. It is also a great motivational tool to help
track one’s progress. A pedometer is not
needed they are very cheap and widely accessible.
Walking Partners
One of the best ways to stay motivated and committed to
your walking programme is a walking partner.
A walking partner will help keep you accountable, experience meaningful
relationships and improve the overall enjoyment of the time you are spending on
your health. People often crave social
activity with friends and colleagues – walking is a perfect solution.
A good gauge to determine if you are walking fast enough
is whether you are out of breath talking to your walking partner. If you are not out of breath, you may not be
walking fast enough. As you improve your
physical fitness one will be able to walk faster, burn more calories, lose
weight and
potentially reverse the damaging effects of type 2 diabetes.
Surround yourself with people that build you up, encourage you and facilitate your goals and passion. It is very common for people to get discouraged and stop a programme without the right support systems.
Dr. Cory Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist for numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and publications throughout the world. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization's goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement.
potentially reverse the damaging effects of type 2 diabetes.
Surround yourself with people that build you up, encourage you and facilitate your goals and passion. It is very common for people to get discouraged and stop a programme without the right support systems.
Dr. Cory Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist for numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and publications throughout the world. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization's goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement.
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