2023-09-10 07:16:57
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – For centuries, people in the sunny Mediterranean region would get up after a meal to walk to the town square, often to see neighbors and socialize. Walking is a big part of this lifestyle, and has been included as the foundation of a healthy Mediterranean diet.
This may be one of the reasons why studies conclude that the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer, contribute to strong bones, promote brain health, ward off dementia, depression, and loss of blood sugar. Weight in a healthy way.
Walking doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time either, as doing it for two to five minutes after a meal can do the trick, according to a 2022 study in the journal Sports Medicine.
Standing up after eating can also benefit you, but not as much as walking, according to study co-author Aidan Povey, a doctoral student in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Limerick in Ireland.
“Intermittent periods of standing throughout the day and after meals reduced glucose by 9.51% compared to prolonged sitting,” Bovey told CNN via email. “.
Walking a short distance after eating may cause your blood sugar levels to gradually rise and fall
A meta-analysis published in February 2022 analyzed seven studies that compared the effect of sitting, standing, and walking on insulin and blood sugar levels.
Participants in the studies were asked to either stand or walk for 2 to 5 minutes every 20 to 30 minutes over the course of an entire day.
“Among the seven studies reviewed, the total activity time throughout the observation period was approximately 28 minutes, with rest periods for standing and light walking ranging from 2 to 5 minutes,” Bovey said.
The analysis found that standing was better than heading straight to a desk or sofa to sit when it came to blood sugar levels, but it did not help lower insulin in the bloodstream.
However, when people took a short walk after eating, their blood sugar levels rose and fell gradually, while their insulin levels were more stable when compared to when they were standing or sitting, according to the study.
Movement helps remove sugars from the bloodstream
How does movement help? Muscles need glucose to function, so movement helps remove sugars from the bloodstream, which is why many runners rely on “carbo loading” before participating in marathons or races, for example.
Do you want to benefit more, and go further than just lowering blood sugar? So, improve your performance to meet the minimum physical activity standards for Americans by doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and doing muscle-strengthening activities two days a week.
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