Walking with others

Some findings about the benefits of walking with others in nature.

• Less likely to feel depressed.
• Less likely to feel stressed.

Nordic walking gets you outdoors. Althoguht it increases the number of muscles used, other research I reported on indicates you don't feel like you're working harder. This makes it easy to socialize with others during a walk.

Give it a try!

Combined exercise for people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review

Why is exercise important for Type 2 diabetes patients? Combining resistance and aerobic exercise controlled glucose levels more extensively than one type alone.

Some additional thoughts from the researchers:

• How do different aerobic and resistance training modes affect glucose control?
• What are the effects of different training and progression methods?
• Is any one type of exercise more optimal than others?

What should Nordic walkers take from this? Consider supplementing with other forms of exercise.

Walking reduces HbA1c in Type II diabetic patients

An interesting review of different research studies found these results:

• Decreased HbA1c.
• Reduced body mass index.
• Lower diastolic blood pressure.

Interestingly, the review noted no significant improvements in systolic blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Other studies noted throughout this blog, on the other hand, noted significant improvements in those categories.

The interesting quotation was this: "Supervised walking was associated with a pronounced decrease in HbA1c (WMD −0.58%, 95% CI: −0.93% to −0.23%), whereas non-supervised walking was not." That means seek out a coach to keep you consistent and focused.