Title: Brisk walking linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
According to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, brisk walking is associated with a nearly 40% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The study, which reviewed 10 previous studies conducted between 1999 and 2022, found that walking at a brisk or striding pace had the biggest benefit, resulting in a 39% reduction in risk compared to easy or casual walking.
Lead author Dr. Ahmad Jayedi, a research assistant at the Social Determinants of Health Research Center at the Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, stated that previous studies had indicated a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in those who spent more time walking per day, but had not offered much guidance on the optimal habitual walking speed needed to lower diabetes risk.
The study also found that each kilometer increase in walking speed above brisk was associated with a 9% lower risk of developing the disease. Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, commented that the ability to quantify the speed of walking and incorporate that into the analysis is interesting.
The study did not prove causation, but it suggests that more vigorous exercise could result in being more physically fit, reducing body weight, and therefore insulin resistance, leading to a lower risk of diabetes, according to Gabbay.
The overall message, according to experts, is that walking is an important way to improve health, and it may be true that walking faster is even better. Using a fitness tracker or the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “talk test” can help people objectively measure and maintain their walking pace to ensure they are walking at a brisk pace.
In conclusion, brisk walking has been linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, providing further evidence of the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining overall health.