Walking After Meals Prevents Diabetes

A 15-minute walk after each meal can reduce the risk of diabetes for elderly people.

This is indicated by the study conducted at George Washington University. The researchers found that such trips reduce blood sugar levels just as effectively as longer exercise. Increased blood sugar levels may lead to type II diabetes. So, a rest after a meal is the worst thing you can do, as the researchers say.

As told by one of the study’s authors, Dr. Loretta DiPietro, this work is the first attempt to study the impact of short-term physical activity in a dangerous period right after eating when blood sugar level can rise rapidly. She said the rise in blood sugar after a meal is a major risk factor of the initial stages of diabetes, which is characterized by the body’s growing inability to absorb glucose.

The researchers concluded that three 15-minute walks during the day are as effective in lowering blood sugar levels as one 45-minute walk in the same moderate pace. However, a walk after a meal has a significantly greater efficacy in lowering elderly people’s blood sugar levels.