In fact, the more you walk—especially at a more intense, faster pace—the lower your diabetes risk. Try to work your way to 10,000 steps per day or at least 30 minutes a day to cut your risk of type 2 diabetes.
The best time for walking is 30 minutes after a meal as this helps keep your glucose from rising too high. 4 Morning exercise is also recommended, especially for people with type 1 diabetes, since it avoids the peak insulin part of the day.
"The good news is that the efficacy of a post-meal walk happens immediately. In fact, studies have shown that a 30-minute brisk walk within 30 minutes after a meal can lower your blood sugar 50 times more than being sedentary," Canon continues.
Walking early in the morning will help you manage this rise in your blood sugar levels. A brisk walk in the morning will help in bringing down your glucose levels to normal. It also helps in making your cells more sensitive to the action of insulin.
Good news: Two new studies found that exercising 30 minutes a day reduces your risk of diabetes by 25 percent, and walking for 10 minutes after meals lowers your blood sugar by 22 percent.
The researchers found that when the participants walked for 10 minutes after each meal, their blood sugar levels were an average of 12% lower than when they took a single 30-minute walk each day.
When you have diabetes, moving more can make a huge difference to how you feel and how you manage your condition. So, whether you have type 1, type 2 or another type of diabetes, walking is a good way to get physically active and build movement into your daily routine.
Test your blood sugar
Testing your blood sugar is an essential part of managing your diabetes. Test your blood sugar first thing in the morning to get a baseline reading for the day. This can help you adjust your diabetes management plan as needed.
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.
Caution! Very strenuous activity, heavy lifting or straining and isometric exercise. Most moderate activity such as walking, moderate lifting, weight lifting with light weights and high repetitions, stretching.
Adrenaline Can Raise Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar) Levels
Using your muscles helps burn glucose and improves the way insulin works. That's why blood glucose levels usually come down during exercise. But you might see blood glucose go up after exercise, too.
Eat at regular times, and don't skip meals. Choose foods lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt. Track your food, drink, and physical activity. Drink water instead of juice or soda.
High intensity interval training
With HIIT, you switch between short bouts of high-intensity activities and longer bouts of lower-intensity moves. You can add it to various exercises like running and cycling. If you have Type 2 diabetes, HIIT may decrease your fasting blood sugar.
While walking barefoot is common in the warmer months of summer, it can lead to serious foot injuries. Walking without foot protection can be especially dangerous for those with diabetes and suffer from peripheral neuropathy.
Walking at a brisk pace or moderate intensity is an aerobic exercise. When you do aerobic activities regularly over time, you can see many health benefits: Blood glucose (blood sugar) levels go down. Insulin sensitivity goes up.
People with diabetes should eat dinner between 8 and 9 pm. Eating close to bedtime or late at night must be avoided.
Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. The dawn phenomenon is an early-morning rise in blood sugar, also called blood glucose, in people with diabetes. The dawn phenomenon leads to high levels of blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. It usually happens between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Incorporating at least 30 minutes, or approximately 3,000-4,000 steps, of brisk walking should be emphasized with the promotion of any step-based recommendation, in line with public health guidelines' focus on time in MVPA.
What does 10,000 steps look like? Ten thousand steps equates to about eight kilometres, or an hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.
Diabetes can affect your walking ability because the excess blood glucose makes it harder for blood to flow and damages the blood vessels that supply the oxygen and nutrients to the nerves. The nerves or tissues can't function optimally without adequate blood flow.
Because glucose increases to its maximum at 30–60 minutes after a meal, walking must be started before the glucose level reaches a maximum, because once insulin is secreted it will play a role as an obesity hormone. It can be assumed that starting walking as soon as possible seems to be optimal to control BS levels.
On average, walking dropped my blood sugar by approximately one mg/dl per minute. The largest drop I saw was 46 mg/dl in 20 minutes, more than two mg/dl per minute. Walking was also surprisingly effective: my blood sugar dropped in 83% of my tests.
Walking within 60 to 90 minutes after eating delivers the best results. Although light walking at any time is good for your health, a short walk within 60 to 90 minutes of eating a meal can be especially useful in minimizing blood sugar spikes, as that is when blood sugar levels tend to peak.