Just by changing the way you walk, your blood sugar level will be controlled and your blood vessels will be more elastic!

Walking is a great exercise for your health in many ways. Even slightly changing your walking style can yield even greater health benefits.

 

A little faster… Beneficial for blood sugar and blood vessel health

 

Even if you walk the same amount of time, it is more efficient to walk at a faster pace. The faster you walk, the better your blood sugar control. Muscles are the organs that process the most glucose, so much so that they're called blood sugar depots. A larger muscle mass naturally leads to a longer stride and a faster walking pace. Fast walkers tend to have more muscle mass, and this, in turn, helps control their blood sugar.

 

What about someone who has little muscle mass but tries to walk quickly? Regardless of muscle mass, walking slightly faster (3 to 5 km/h) lowers the risk of diabetes by 15% compared to walking less than 3 km/h. A study from Imperial College London found that brisk walking at 5-6 km/h reduced the risk of diabetes by 24%, while brisk walking at 6 km/h or faster reduced the risk by 39%. Striving to walk briskly can improve cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle mass and quality. Even if you currently have limited muscle mass, brisk walking will increase it, leading to various health benefits.

As your walking speed increases, your oxygen consumption and sugar metabolism increase, which improves blood circulation and is good for your vascular health. . The catecholamine hormones that raise blood pressure decrease, and vascular endothelial function is activated, increasing vascular elasticity. A study conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo found that those who walked quickly had an 11-21% lower risk of developing hypertension than those who walked slowly.

 

It's good to walk often and increase your stride.

 

If a person who originally walks slowly starts walking quickly overnight, there is a risk of injury. Before you can start walking briskly, you need to make an effort to walk more frequently. Once you've become accustomed to walking, adjust your pace by walking briskly for one minute, then walking at your normal pace for one minute, or by walking briskly for three minutes, then walking at your normal pace for three minutes. Then, as your muscles gradually train, walking quickly becomes more comfortable.

 

Widening your stride is also a method. Even a stride of just 10 centimeters wider than your usual walking range significantly stimulates your muscles. This strengthens the thigh and pelvic stabilizing muscles, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. This not only improves your health but also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. However, as you walk with a wider stride, you must maintain your balance. Those with weak pelvic muscles may experience fluctuations in their center of gravity, increasing the risk of falls. When walking, look straight ahead, maintain a straight body, swing your arms naturally, and step from heel to sole to toe.

 

Seniors should start with indoor exercise.

 

Older adults should be cautious. Elderly patients with diabetes, in particular, often already have significant muscle mass loss and impaired balance. Therefore, brisk walking can strain their cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems and increase the risk of falls. In these cases, it's helpful to gradually increase muscle resistance by performing strength training exercises like squats and planks in a safe indoor environment. Even if you're accustomed to walking and are starting to walk briskly, avoid inclines. Afterward, it's important to stretch, massage, and rest sufficiently to allow your muscles time to recover.

 

 

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These days, there are people running on the walking path.

It has grown a lot.

 

Maybe it's because the wind has gotten colder

There were a lot of people walking.

 

If you can walk a little faster,

It might help with blood sugar.