"Uncle Zhao, he is 68 years old this year, and diabetes has been with him for more than ten years. He has always relied on taking medicine to control it, but he is always afraid that it will not be good if he takes too much medicine. ”
That day, Uncle Zhao was watching a video and saw a blogger who said that he had been diabetic for 5 years, and he had taken medicine before, but then he started walking every day, and his blood sugar dropped from 14 to normal, and even the medicine was stopped.
Uncle Zhao thought to himself: "This is good, I'll try it too!" "At first, he still took his medicine as usual, but he also walked 5 kilometers every day. Hey, it's a really good effect, the blood sugar is much more stable.
Uncle Zhao thought to himself: "My body, I should be able to do it!" So, he increased the amount of exercise, walked 10 kilometers a day, and stopped taking medicine. After this week, the blood sugar is quite stable, and Uncle Zhao is called a beauty in his heart.
But half a year later, Uncle Zhao found that there was a wound on his foot, and there was pus, redness and swelling, so he hurriedly went to the hospital. Upon examination, the doctor found that the blood sugar had been unstable, which also caused diabetic foot and other complications. Finally, doctors recommend amputation. Uncle Zhao regretted it: "Why did you pretend to be so smart in the first place?" ”
In recent years, with the improvement of living standards and the development of medical technology, people have paid more and more attention to health preservation.
Some studies have found that people who walk 7,000 steps a day have a 70% lower risk of death. Is this conclusion true and reliable, and what is the scientific basis behind it?
01
The effect of walking on diabetics
Walking, as a low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, has many benefits for people with diabetes.
Walking burns a lot of glucose in the blood, which helps lower blood sugar levels. Secondly, walking can also improve the body's sensitivity to insulin and enhance the hypoglycemic effect of insulin.
In addition, walking also boosts the body's metabolism, accelerates blood circulation, and reduces fat accumulation, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes and its complications.
02
Benefits of afternoon exercise for blood sugar control
Studies have found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the afternoon is more beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar.
This is because the body's metabolism is more vigorous in the afternoon, and organs such as muscles and liver are relatively sensitive to insulin.
Exercising at this time can more effectively promote the consumption and utilization of blood sugar, thereby lowering blood sugar levels.
Therefore, diabetic patients can choose their own exercise methods in the afternoon, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc.
03
Effect of walking on skeletal muscle oxidation
Walking exercise can increase the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscles and improve the efficiency of glucose uptake and utilization by muscles. At the same time, walking also promotes the patency of insulin signaling and enhances the sensitivity of muscles to insulin.
These changes all help to improve insulin resistance in people with diabetes, which in turn lowers blood sugar levels.
However, it is important to note that walking exercise, while having many benefits for people with diabetes, is not a substitute for medication.
Diabetic patients still need to follow the doctor's instructions to take medication while exercising to maintain blood sugar stability.
In addition, it is important to monitor blood sugar changes during exercise and adjust your diet and medication regimen according to your blood sugar levels.
04
Benefits of walking exercises
Walking can exercise the heart and lungs, improve the body's endurance and resistance.
Walking can protect the joints, reduce the burden on the joints, and reduce the risk of joint diseases such as arthritis.
Walking also enhances brain function, improves memory and concentration, and helps prevent cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's.
At the same time, walking also promotes blood circulation and accelerates metabolism, which can help reduce weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as blood pressure.
Finally, walking can also help improve mental health by releasing stress and relieving negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.
05
Walking recommendations for people of different ages
For young people, walking about 10,000 steps a day is a more appropriate amount of exercise. For middle-aged and elderly people, due to the decline in physical function, walking about 6000~8000 steps a day can meet the needs of exercise.
In addition, the number of steps should be adjusted according to the individual's physical condition and exercise habits to avoid injuries caused by excessive exercise.
The choice of walking style is also one of the important factors affecting the effectiveness of exercise. Common walking styles include walking in place, brisk walking, and rocker strides.
Walking in place is suitable for indoor walking, and you can exercise anytime and anywhere; Brisk walking can increase heart rate and breathing rate faster, promoting fat burning; The rocker stride can exercise the upper limb muscles and increase the comprehensiveness of the exercise.
When choosing a walking style, you need to choose the one that suits you according to your personal situation to achieve the best exercise results.
Not only does walking have significant benefits for people with diabetes, but it's also an age-appropriate exercise that has a positive effect on cardiorespiratory fitness, joint health, brain function, and mental health.
Of course, everyone's physical condition and exercise needs are different. Therefore, when setting a daily step goal, it should be reasonably adjusted according to the individual's situation to ensure that the exercise is both safe and effective.
In addition, there are many ways to walk, and we can choose the walking style that suits us according to our preferences and needs, making the exercise more interesting and diverse.