Even Slow Walking May Prevent Diabetes

I walk with my family nearly every day, and I’m always encouraging my kids to take a walk with me. Even a leisurely walk, if it's regular, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, recent research says Researchers used data from 8,600 Japanese men who were part of a larger health study. All were middle aged and had normal blood sugar. In the next four years, men who walked longer to get to work had a lower risk of developing diabetes. The risk for men who walked at least 21 minutes was 25% lower than for those who walked 10 minutes or less. The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, is important because it suggests that any type of physical exercise, even leisurely walking, can help decrease a person's risk of getting diabetes. Until now, doctors thought that people had to do more vigorous exercise to have an effect.

Diabetes is a major health problem in this country. More and more people are being diagnosed with this disease. Diabetes is a problem where blood sugar levels are too high. With the most common type of diabetes, type 2 (formerly called adult-onset diabetes), the body becomes resistant to insulin and does not use insulin well. It also doesn't make enough insulin.

With time, diabetes can damage the kidneys, eyes, heart, blood vessels and nerves. So, everyone should try to prevent diabetes from developing.

Preventing diabetes is possible. People who are at risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or postpone it by losing weight if they are overweight. People usually are advised to lose 5% to 10% of their body weight.

Exercise is very important as well. It has been said that people should get at least 30 minutes of moderate- to heavy-intensity exercise five days a week in order to help prevent diabetes. Now this research suggests that even low-intensity exercise can reduce your risk of getting diabetes.

You don't have to run marathons! Walking, even at a relatively slow pace, is good. But you do need to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day.

12 exercise tips

1.       Aim for 30 minutes of exercise at least five days per week. This could include walking, dancing, bicycle riding or swimming.

2.       Try stretching, weight training, and aerobic activities.

3.       Start slowly if you have been inactive for a while. Gradually build up the exercise.

4.       Vary your activities. You are more likely to become bored and quit if you do the same thing each day.

5.       Too busy? Schedule time each week to be active. Write it on your calendar. Try walking to work, like people in this study did, or go to a gym during your lunch hour.

6.       Find the right exercise. If you enjoy it, you are more likely to continue with the exercise.

7.       Consider exercising with a friend, or with a group. Or join an exercise class. You are more likely to continue your exercise program if you do it with others.

8.       Make physical activity a part of your regular chores, so you move around while getting things done. Raking leaves and weeding the garden are activities that are good for you.

9.       Plan activities for the whole family that include physical activity. Go hiking, or take a walk every evening.

10.   Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

11.   Exercise while watching TV.

12.   Get a pedometer to keep track of how much you walk each day. Each week, try to increase your steps.

Do you think you can fit 20 minutes of walking into your day? Let us know how you might make it work with your schedule.

Julie K. Silver, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Chief Editor of Books for Harvard Health Publications.

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