- A study finds that light-intensity, 3-minute walks every half hour can help people with type 1 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control.
- Being too sedentary is associated with an increased risk of serious diseases, and for people with type 1 diabetes, it makes controlling blood sugar levels more difficult.
- While exercise, in general, can be beneficial for people with type 1 diabetes, moderate- and high-intensity exercise can also result in sudden, dangerous drops in blood sugar levels.
Being sedentary for extended periods of time is considered to be unhealthy for anyone. It is of special concern for people with type 1 diabetes, since it is associated with the dysregulation of insulin levels.
At the same time, being too active can cause sudden, precipitous drops in blood sugar levels for people with type 1 diabetes.
A new study from the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom demonstrates a middle ground, a way for people with type 1 diabetes to keep their blood sugar under control with safe, short periods of light-intensity walking. The authors call these “exercise snacks.”
The study finds that taking a 3-minute stroll after every 30 minutes of sedentary time helped study participants keep their blood sugar under control compared to people who were sedentary.
In addition, the researchers found that the light walking breaks did not put the participants at risk of sudden drops in blood glucose levels.
The researchers presented their recent findings at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2023. They also published a review drawing similar conclusions in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes.
The study involved 32 adults with type 1 diabetes, and consisted of two sessions conducted over a period of 2 weeks.
In the first, participants remained seated for 7 hours. In the second, they got up every 30 minutes for a light 3-minute walk.
After each of the sessions, participants were outfitted with a continuous glucose monitor for 48 hours. During that period,…
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