We have all seen plenty of writing touting the benefits of walking for Type 2 diabetes. I agree with all of that. But in my own experience, walking has been more than that.
It is clearly the most convenient, safe and productive exercise for fifty somethings. I find walking to be refreshing, relaxing and soothing.
I have a walking routine. I cover the exact same distance every day. But the two walking routes are different. There is no overlap. I do them both daily.
Among the benefits of walking, here is the piece d resistance for me. The best part. It lowers my blood sugar after meals. Time and time again, after a 30-minute walk, my glucose readings have normalized after a meal in which I have consumed higher-than-usual carbs and after which I have observed a higher-than-usual-peak.
Sometimes, when I indulge in bites of dessert or floury stuff, I go on my trusted walk and like clockwork, the glucose monitor shows a big reduction when I return.
The logic is this. With Type 2 diabetes, the cells are normally resistant to the glucose carried by insulin because the mitochondria, a kind of gate through which the insulin laden glucose enters the cells, is nearly closed. And, apparently, walking opens them up again.
Another analogy is that with high levels of insulin resistance, the mitochondria goes into a "sleep" mode, much like the computer does when it has been inactive for some time.
In my case, walking "wakes up" the mitochondria and I am glad that it does.
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