When was the last time you clipped that pedometer onto your waistband? Here's a great reason to get it back there.
Boosting your daily steps to 10,000 a day could save you from a future with diabetes -- especially if you're not hoofing it that much right now.
The Magic Number of Steps
In a recent study, researchers in Australia used pedometers to calculate participants' average number of daily steps over the course of 5 years. And people whose pedometers showed an increase in steps over time had better insulin sensitivity at the end of the study -- a good sign for anyone who hopes to avoid diabetes, because insulin helps your body use blood sugar. Just how much do you need to ramp up to improve insulin sensitivity? Researchers estimated that based on the study results, a mostly sedentary person could improve his or her insulin sensitivity nearly threefold by working up from 3,000 steps every 5 days, to 10,000 steps every day.
Stepping Away from Diabetes
Not only did the big steppers have better insulin sensitivity after 5 years, but their body mass indexes and waist-to-hip ratios had also improved over the course of the study. Which led researchers to believe the blood sugar health benefits may have been a direct result of the leaner, healthier body compositions that result from extra steps. (Want more tips on taking control of your weight and your blood sugar? Read this article to find out why beans, whole grains, and fresh veggies are key.)
Boosting your daily steps to 10,000 a day could save you from a future with diabetes -- especially if you're not hoofing it that much right now.
The Magic Number of Steps
In a recent study, researchers in Australia used pedometers to calculate participants' average number of daily steps over the course of 5 years. And people whose pedometers showed an increase in steps over time had better insulin sensitivity at the end of the study -- a good sign for anyone who hopes to avoid diabetes, because insulin helps your body use blood sugar. Just how much do you need to ramp up to improve insulin sensitivity? Researchers estimated that based on the study results, a mostly sedentary person could improve his or her insulin sensitivity nearly threefold by working up from 3,000 steps every 5 days, to 10,000 steps every day.
Stepping Away from Diabetes
Not only did the big steppers have better insulin sensitivity after 5 years, but their body mass indexes and waist-to-hip ratios had also improved over the course of the study. Which led researchers to believe the blood sugar health benefits may have been a direct result of the leaner, healthier body compositions that result from extra steps. (Want more tips on taking control of your weight and your blood sugar? Read this article to find out why beans, whole grains, and fresh veggies are key.)
