The most important thing you can do to postpone almost indefinitely the horrendous outcomes that are the fate of diabetics is to eat a plant-focused diet.
The second most important thing you need to do is to get some regular exercise.
However you don't have to go to a gym and work up a sweat, though this would be an excellent thing to do. Nor do you need to go jogging.
In fact, the pounding your feet get from jogging can be hurtful,
especially if your disease has progressed to the point where you are
experiencing problems with your feet due to diabetic neuropathy.
There
are plenty of sports you can take up-golf or swimming for instance-that
will give you plenty of exercise. But the best is power-walking. You
can also do it anywhere.
A good, fast walk on a daily basis will be immensely beneficial. In fact it's all the exercise you need to beat your diabetes.
Firstly,
of course, you should check with your doctor to make sure power-walking
is OK for you given your particular circumstances.
Benefits of Power-Walking
Power-walking is walking briskly, moving your arms as well as your legs, rather than sauntering along in a casual way.
This kind of walking is a form of aerobic exercise, an activity that increases your heart rate for an extended period of time.
Aerobic exercise has many benefits:
- It strengthens your heart, lungs and muscles.
- It lowers your blood pressure.
- It can improve your mood and energy.
- It helps prevent and reduce symptoms of depression.
- It keeps your bones healthy, reducing your risk of osteoporosis.
- It helps you maintain your optimum weight through calorie burn.
Setting power-walking goals
To benefit most from power-walking, you need to set yourself a few goals.
[1]
Aim for a minimum of four power walks a week, preferably five. I do a
power-walk every day when possible and usually never miss more than one
day a week, as I find fitness drops off rapidly after a break of just a
day or so.
[2] You should start off with walks of only 20 minutes
or so for the first week. You can increase your walks by 5 minute
intervals as you get fitter until you are doing 60 minutes a day.
[3]
There is no need to do all your day's walking in one session. You can
break it up into two or three walks a day. Personally I try for 60
minutes plus a day, broken into three or four sessions of 15 to 20
minutes each throughout the day.
How to Power Walk
Here are some tips to help you reap the benefits of power-walking and stay free of injury:
Wear quality runners:
the shoes you use should fit well and be flexible and comfortable. Make
sure that they are wide enough for your feet, with well-cushioned
heels, good support and plenty of space for your toes.
Your
footwear should be able to absorb shocks, especially as you are diabetic
and may be developing problems with your feet. Runners with gel inside
their soles are the best, in my view, for absorbing the shocks of
walking rapidly on cement or concrete.
Check the condition of your shoes regularly and consider changing them every six months or so, or every year at the most.
Warm-up: start with a few stretching exercises. Here are two simple ones I use.
In
the first, I lean against a wall, my hands flat on the wall and my feet
stretched out backwards, so that my body makes an angle of
approximately 45 degrees with the wall. I stretch my calf muscles by
straightening my knees and bending my ankles.
In the second
stretching exercise, I simply stand upright and raise one leg up behind
me, bending at the knee. I grab my ankle and bring my foot up as close
as it will go to my backside. I repeat with the other leg.
These exercises stretch your leg, back, chest and shoulder muscles.
Once
you've done a bit of stretching to get your body in the mood, start
strolling at a casual pace. After a minute or so, pick up speed for the
remainder of your walk.
Don't slouch: pay attention to your posture.
Keep
your head up, your stomach in and your shoulders relaxed. Lift up your
chest so you can fill it with air and flex your abdominal muscles as you
breathe.
Stride naturally: the length of your step should be natural and comfortable. Avoid extra-long strides.
Straighten
your leg as it moves forward but don't make it so straight that your
upper and lower leg form a straight-line through your knee. Just
straighten it to the extent that it feels natural.
Land on your
heel, instead of the middle or front of the foot, and roll your weight
forward towards the ball of the foot as you other leg moves forward.
Again, as you naturally would when walking quickly.
Swing your arms: swinging your arms will help propel you forward and move faster.
Just
let your arms swing freely, keeping them bent at the elbow in a natural
way. Make sure you keep your shoulders relaxed and don't tense up your
neck or back.
Don't use hand weights. All they'll do is put stress on your shoulders and elbows.
Wind down: slow down to a slower pace for the last 5 minutes or so, allowing yourself to cool off naturally.
Then you can do a few stretching exercises, just like the ones you did to warm up, if you like.
Ramping It Up
There
are several things you can do to increase the exercise value of your
power-walk. However you should perhaps wait until you are well used to
power-walking before trying these.
Intervals are great for
boosting your endurance and weight loss. All you have to do is speed up
for a minute or so every five minutes and then revert to your regular
pace.
Other exercises: you can sneak in other exercise
partway through your power-walk when you are in a park. Do some
star-jumps (jumping jacks) on grass or a few press-ups on a park bench.
Vary the terrain:
most of us power-walk on concrete footpaths (sidewalks) which is pretty
easy with the right kind of footwear. Walking on gravel, sand or even
grass can be a bit harder as grip becomes less sure. But you'll burn
more calories.
Uphill: power-walking uphill increases the
exercise value of every 100 metres you walk and builds leg muscle
quicker than walking on the flat. Try it.
But be careful going back down a hill. Take shorter steps and walk more slowly to reduce the pressure on your knees.
A weighted vest is
used by many athletes. Wearing one while walking requires the muscles
in your lower body to generate more force. This can increase your
metabolic rate and the intensity of the exercise. This may lead to gains
in strength and power. It may also help strengthen your bones.
Your
weighted vest should not be too heavy. It should not exceed ten percent
of your body weight and, preferably, should be less than five percent.
Rather
than wearing a weighted vest, you could try putting an ankle weight on
each leg. This should have a similar effect on the exercise value of
your power-walking.
Have fun-get fit-beat diabetes!
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