New research suggests that walking for just 10 minutes immediately after a main meal may help lower blood sugar levels more effectively than doing one extended walk later in the day.
In a study involving people with type 2 diabetes, participants who walked for 10 minutes after each principal meal reduced their blood glucose by about 12% overall, compared to when they did a single 30-minute walk once per day. The largest effect, a 22% drop occurred following the evening meal, when everyone tended to eat more carbohydrates and be less active later.
How the Study Worked
The trial included adults aged 18 to 75 (average age ~60) with type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two routines:
Each routine lasted 14 days, followed by a 30-day break, after which participants switched to the other routine. Physical activity was tracked by wearable monitors. At the start and end of each 14-day period, fasting blood samples and body measurements were taken.
Findings and Implications
The shorter, frequent walks immediately after post-meal proved superior to a single daily walk for controlling blood sugar. Because these light walks can lower post-meal glucose surges, the authors propose that this strategy might reduce the need for extra mealtime insulin in some cases.
However, the researchers caution that more work is needed to see whether these improvements persist over the long term, and whether such a walking pattern might also help prevent diabetes in people at risk.
Source:
Reynolds A, Mann J, Williams S, Venn B. Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study. Diabetologia, 2016: doi:10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2. Published online on October 17, 2016.
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