Brisk walking may help reduce diabetes risk

A recent study on the relationship between walking and type 2 diabetes found that both intensity and speed of walking are important factors that can impact diabetes status.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, brisk walking in old age is associated with about a 40% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

"Previous studies have shown that regular walking can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the general population, with people who spend more time walking each day having a lower risk of developing the disease," said study author Ahmad Jayedi.

Scientists conducted 10 studies between 1999 and 2022, examining the relationship between walking speed and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Accordingly, they performed objective tests, over time, and according to subjective reports submitted by participants in the US, UK and Japan.

The link between walking speed and type 2 diabetes:

Researchers found that people who walked at an average pace had a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes after an average follow-up of eight years compared with slow or normal walkers.

People who walk at a brisk pace can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 24% compared to people who walk at a slow or average pace. The most significant is "fast/stride walking", which reduces the risk of developing the disease by 39%.

Walking at a pace of less than two miles per hour is considered easy or slow. Two to three miles per hour is considered normal or regular.

“Brisk/striding” was defined as walking faster than four miles per hour, while “fairly brisk” was defined as three to four miles per hour. A 9% reduction in disease risk was associated with each additional mile walked faster.

The bottom line is that walking is an important way to improve health. Moving at a faster pace is probably better and it is important to encourage people to walk as much as possible because most people need more exercise.