Proper diet and diabetes have a well-established connection. However, people tend to struggle when it comes to sticking to a healthy eating regimen. So, if you are sneaking treats more often than you should, then here is some great news for you.
In a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, it was revealed that there is an easy and very effective way of reducing your risk for developing diabetes which doesn’t involve hitting on the gym or going on a diet. Instead, it involves spending more of your time on leisure-time physical activity or LTPA.
LTPA requires physical exercise and movement; and some of its examples are jogging, running, walking. All your hope is not lost if you can’t engage in high-intensity exercises. Low-intensity exercises also offer some degree of protection, according to the researchers.
More than 44,000 Chinese adults between ages 20 and 80 were involved in the study. They were those who were identified as being at risk of developing diabetes over the course of 18 years. According to the researchers, an estimated 20% of those who developed the disease would have avoided it if they had stick on the exercise guidelines established by the World Health Organization. For instance, by just simple increasing their LTPA levels by one category, 7 million Chinese adults with impaired fasting glucose could have avoided diabetes. More than three-fourths of Chinese adults are not enjoying these diabetes-preventing effects as they are not currently getting the physical activity levels needed.
It was recommended by the World Health Organization that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should perform at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes per week of aerobic physical activity at a moderate intensity.
Yet, this shouldn’t be an excuse to eat whatever food you want as long as you exercise. What it gives is an effective way in order that people at high risk of developing diabetes can prevent it.
Diabetes, if not properly managed, is a deadly disease. Some of its complications include kidney problems, blindness, cardiovascular disease, amputation, and Alzheimer’s. It’s really necessary for you to do everything to lower your risk. All you just have to do is to move your body more.
Try to do your leisure-time physical activity outdoors so that you can reap the sun’s vitamin-D-boosting effects. According to a study from the Warwick Medical School, a person maintaining a healthy level of vitamin D is 55% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, 33% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and 51% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Johanna Parker, one of the authors of the study, said that the best bet for getting vitamin D is through sunlight exposure. You can get the right levels by exposing your face and arms without sunscreen for 30 minutes twice a week.
Increasing your activity levels can benefit your health in many ways, even if you are not at risk of diabetes. So, keep moving!
