Type 2 Diabetes - You Can Benefit From Simply Walking

If you have been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the first things your doctor will recommend is that you start exercising. One of the most popular exercises for diabetics is walking. If, like the majority of people diagnosed with type 2 you have been leading a "couch potato" lifestyle, walking is the easiest way to get your body moving.

Walking provides many benefits for diabetics:

it reduces blood sugar levels
it burns calories which can help with losing weight
it reduces blood pressure and improves heart health

Walking is easy and you already do it every day at least for short distances, such as navigating room to room in your home.

How to get started:

Before you head outside for your first walk, take care of these necessities:

consult with your doctor to make sure it's OK for you to walk
check your feet to makes sure there are no sores, blisters, or cuts
get true walking shoes and socks thick enough to absorb your impact with the ground
check your blood sugar level before and after walking
take along snacks and plenty of water

You have to be careful about walking because people with diabetes, type 1 or type 2, are at a high risk for foot problems. If you have diabetic neuropathy, you may have pain or numbness/tingling in your feet already. With diabetes, your body also will not heal as quickly. That means a cut, blister or abrasion can fail to heal and also become easily infected.

Are walking shoes really necessary?

It is really important for you to buy good walking shoes. That doesn't mean you need to go out and spend $120 on a brand name pair of sneakers. But it does mean that you have to find shoes for walking that have certain specifications. The most important thing is that the shoes are not too large or too small.

You don't want your foot rubbing on the sides or heels of the shoes and you don't want your foot sliding forwards, backwards or sideways. Select wider shoes instead of narrow ones. If you buy new shoes, try them on and walk in them with the socks you will wear during your walks. After you have the right shoes for walking, it's time to head out to your chosen location.

Here are a few more tips on how to get started and stay motivated:

start out with just five to ten minutes of walking the first day, particularly if you have not been exercising at all. Increase your time by around five minutes each week until you hit thirty minutes
add toys to make it fun! If you really dislike exercise, you will need some motivational tools. Try getting a pedometer... a little unit that you can attach to count steps and/or total distance walked. Once you get up to your thirty minute goal, you can keep your mind occupied by using a heart rate monitor or even a GPS device
find fellow walkers. Whether it be a friend or a group of people you have never met, companions are great motivators
walk where you feel most comfortable. That place might be a few blocks close to your home or a quiet nature path in the country. It might even be at the mall. Many malls open early for walkers and some have daily group walks. Many cities now even have walking clubs.

So, go! But don't forget to warm up your muscles for five to ten minutes... that means simply walking slowly during the first section of your walking schedule.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?
To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions... its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.
(c) 2010 Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.
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