Taking a walk is a great way to add physical activity to the day, get some fresh air and spend time thinking or conversing with a loved one.
A study from the Diabetes Care Journal found that taking a walk after eating can help reduce older people’s risk of diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels.
The research determined if it was better to take a senior-friendly 15 minute walk after each meal or one 45 minute walk every day. An overweight, inactive group of people age 60 and over was analyzed to discover the results. The study showed that three short walks were significantly better at keeping blood sugar at a healthy level, and these walks kept blood sugar lower for up to three hours after eating. In addition, a short walk after dinner lowered blood sugar more than a long walk early in the day.
Short walks throughout the day help control blood sugar levels
“This is not for weight loss, and it’s not going to increase your cardiovascular fitness very much,” study leader Loretta DiPietro, Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, told NBCNews.com. “It’s very specifically for glycemic control with older age.”
The participants waited 30 minutes after eating a meal then walked at a slow to moderate pace, approximately 3 mph on a treadmill, for 15 minutes. On other days individuals walked for 45 minutes on a treadmill at either 10:30 am or 4:30 pm.
The three, 15 minutes walks as well as the morning 45 minute walk helped control blood sugar better than the afternoon 45 minute walk. Even so, only the 15 minute walks considerably reduces high increases in blood sugar levels for three hours after eating a meal.
DiPeitro told NBCNews.com that older adults may not be able to, or are not interested in, exercising for long periods. Shorter walks throughout the day can be more manageable and realistic exercise options for people to partake in active senior living.
In the evenings, the time post-dinner is the most vulnerable for people at risk for diabetes because insulin production drops at the end of the day. This can cause older adults to go to sleep with very high blood sugar levels, which can increase the risk of developing diabetes.
