Benefits of walking in Hypertension and Diabetes

Benefits of walking in hypertension and diabetes

In my last post,I wrote about the number of steps one should walk to burn those extra calories lurking in our body as fats and cholesterol which are harmful to heart as well causing diabetes[the fats in our belly, known as VISCERAL FATS, causes a condition called Insulin Resistance].

As said earlier, one step is equivalent to 0.04 Cals., so if we walk about 10000 steps per day, we may burn up about 400 Cals. As 1250 steps amounts to 1 km,10000 steps will be 8 kms. This is not achievable every day.

A brisk walk can cover up about 3.5 to 4.0 kms in about 45 minutes i.e. roughly 5000 steps. Remaining 5000 steps you will cover up in your day-to-day activities like household works, climbing stairs etc.

Now coming to on how one should start a regular walking program and how many times a week.

Why should you include walking in your daily routine?

Adding walking offers numerous benefits for your daily routine, such as:

• Improved cardiovascular health
• Increased metabolism and calorie burning
• Enhanced mood and reduced stress levels
• Strengthened bones and muscles Improved joint flexibility and mobility
• Boosted immune function
• Decreased risk of chronic diseases
• Better brain health and cognitive function Increased productivity and creativity Improved sleep quality.

Make walking a regular part of your day to experience these benefits and improve your overall well-being

Many of the patients who come to me for weight management have multiple problems like arthritis, asthma, very heavy body[BMI above 35], high blood pressure,diabetes etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

The typical questions they ask and my answers to them are given below:-

Question: I have severe knee joint pains,is walking advisable for me?

My answer: I say yes, you have to. The reason is, because the arthritis-called osteoarthritis- has been caused by your weight.

The more you are inactive due to pain, the more your leg muscles get stiff. Start with a small walk slowly daily till you get a feel of it i.e. get used to the minor pain and slowly improve the tempo day by day.

The stiffness in the leg muscle disappears gradually and then over the days your gait will improve and you will walk faster till you achieve your goal.

Of course, you have to consult your health provider for ways to relieve pain and treat your arthritis[I will cover up on the treatment of arthritis in a separate post shortly].

Walking also helps in releasing endorphins [the natural pain killer produced by our body] which helps in reducing pain.

Question: I am taking treatment for high B.P., will walking increase my B.P.?

My answer: I say no, it will not. On the other hand, walking releases stress and will help reduce your B.P.

Question: I have diabetes, how will walking help me?

My Answer: The answer is yes; walking helps to burn up excess sugar in the blood.

Question: I have arthritis of my knees and have to climb up and down the stairs-what precaution should I take?

My answer-Hold on to railings if you are aged and climb slowly, no need to hurry [other precautions I will cover in a blog on arthritis].

Question:Should I walk or jog?

My answer-Walk if you are overweight, jog if you are not. Jogging can damage the weight bearing joints like knees and ankles in an overweight person.

Conclusion

Having said all this, I will discuss more about when and how to walk in my next post.If you have any queries regarding walking,you may ask in my leave a comment section or write to me on vasu56deva@gmail.com.

Final Words

I wish you a pleasant and fruitful walk daily. If you have found this article useful, do consider sharing on social media icons at the bottom of this article. You can also share it on X [formerly Twitter] by clicking below-

Adios.