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10000 steps a day lowers diabetes risk--study
by Jaspreet Virk - January 14, 2011 - comments
One does not have to start with 10,000 steps. Begin with a few steps and increase them to to 10,000 over a period of 5 years.
Preventing diabetes is just a matter of steps now! Walking, running or jogging more not only wards off weight-gain, but also delays or prevents diabetes, a new study reveals.
According to the study findings published in the 'British Medical Journal,' taking 10,000 steps a day improves insulin sensitivity, thus lowering the risk of developing diabetes.
592 middle-aged adults studied
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, examined the link between daily step count and insulin sensitivity.
Over the years, previous researches have assessed the link between physical activity and insulin resistance and BMI. None of them studied how adding certain number of steps each day lowers diabetes risk.
Follow up of participants five years later showed that people who walked the most had lower body mass index (BMI), lower waist to hip ratio, and improved insulin sensitivity.
For the study, the researchers examined data on 592 adults who were in their middle age. All the subjects participated in the nationally representative study, conducted to assess diabetes rates in Australia from 2000 to 2005.
The participants underwent a health check, and were asked to fill in questionnaire related to their lifestyle habits. Later all of them were given a pedometer and instructed how to use it.
A pedometer is an electronic device that detects the motion of the person's hips and counts each step one takes. The device is usually attached to the belt.
More the steps, higher is insulin sensitivity
Follow up of participants five years later showed that people who walked the most had lower body mass index (BMI), lower waist to hip ratio, and improved insulin sensitivity.
Though 3000 steps a day does improve insulin sensitivity, the more one walks, more is the benefit.
For instance, the researchers found that participants who took 10,000 steps per day, 5 days in a week, showed three-fold improvement in the insulin activity, compared to those who just walked 3000 steps in a day.
One does not have to start with 10,000 steps. Begin with a few steps and increase them to to 10,000 over a period of 5 years.
Terry Dwyer, the lead study researcher, stated, “These findings provide further support to promote higher physical activity levels among adults."
"These findings, confirming an independent beneficial role of higher daily step count on body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity, provide further support to promote higher physical activity levels among middle aged adults,” the researchers concluded.