Food & Fitness

Walking is a great way to get fit. It improves circulation and mobility, promotes weight loss and even helps reduce stress. And there’s no better time to begin a walking routine than right now.

If you’re not used to being active, start with 10 minutes each day and build as your energy increases. When you begin, find a comfortable pace and try to add about three to five minutes to your walking time each week. A good goal is to shoot for is to walk 30 to 45 minutes, five days a week.

Use a Pedometer

You can use a pedometer to track how many steps you take each day. Experts suggest you build up to 10,000 steps a day (this is 5 miles).

Here’s how to start:

• First, check how many steps you do now. Wear the pedometer for a week or two. Find out the average steps you take each day.
• Once you know your starting point, try to up your daily average by 500 steps every couple weeks.
• Before you know it, you’ll hit 10,000 steps a day!

Quick Tips

These quick tips will put an extra spring in your step.

• Stretch for 5-10 minutes before and after every walk.
• Keep a good posture. Gaze forward, not down at the ground, with your chin level and head up.
• Stay hydrated by drinking 8 ounces of water before you begin your walk.
• Wear shoes designed for walking for greater comfort and injury prevention.
• Your walks don’t have to be long and strenuous to be beneficial. A walk to the store or through the mall counts too.

Be Safe

Don’t forget:

• Wear your diabetes I.D.
• Check your blood glucose before exercise (If it’s too low (under 80 mg/dL), eat a piece of fruit, a few crackers, or glass of milk.)
• Check your blood glucose after exercise (Learn how your blood glucose reacts to becoming more active. If you take diabetes medicinesand your blood glucose often gets too low, ask your doctor about lowering your doses.)
• Carry a snack to eat if you’ll be active for a few hours.

Did You Know?

By walking just an extra five minutes a day you can burn an additional 24 calories per workout. That may not seem like much, but over the course of one year it adds up to a total of 8,760 additional calories burned.

Related Information

Join the American Diabetes Association’s Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes. Walk with thousands of people at more than 250 events nationwide who have teamed up with their families, neighbors, friends, and co-workers to raise money to help find a cure for diabetes. If you are unable to participate, you can support diabetes education and research by making a donation to the American Diabetes Association.