If you have been to H3 within the past 25 years, you know what Thermal Walks are. We have been promoting them since then as pleasant and effective way to increase walking and boost metabolism. Thermal walks are leisurely to moderate paced 10 – 20 minute walks taken shortly after finishing a meal. A new study published in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that taking a short walk after a meal might also help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The study found that for older (average age of 71) adults with prediabetes, a moderately paced 15 minute walk after each meal worked as well at regulating blood glucose as one 45 minute walk a day. (previous studies had confirmed the beneficial effects on blood sugar that regular moderate daily walking of 30 – 45 minutes a day provides). That’s important because some older folks find it difficult to walk for 30 – 45 minutes at a time.
Loretta DiPietro, the study’s lead author and chairman of the department of exercise science at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health services commented in the USA Today that walking after a meal “really blunts the rise in blood sugar”. The study also found that since for most, the dinner meal is the largest meal, causing the greatest rise in blood sugar, walking after it most effective time to influence blood sugar levels. Blood sugars tend to rise after dinner and throughout the night in those who are inactive and may stay elevated until the next morning.
While a very well designed and controlled study it only had 10 subjects, so the results need to be confirmed by a larger study. But no need for you to wait for confirmation. Just keep doing those Thermals and may help manage your blood sugar while you burn a few calories and boost your metabolism.
No comments:
Post a Comment