Type 2 Diabetes - Walking for Weight Loss

Are you overweight? Are you a Type 2 diabetic? If you wish to enjoy the benefits of physical activity including better blood sugar control and loss of weight, what you are aiming for is a healthy level of physical fitness. It is rare to be physically active and ill at the same time. It does happen, but it is an exception rather than a rule.

Even if you are not completely sedentary, there is a good chance you should be exercising more. Unless you work a job involving manual labor, the activity you do as part of your workday does not count, and this is the case if you work a desk job. Most people need to make time outside of their work and daily responsibilities for exercise. But that does not mean you have to immediately sign up at a gym or purchase workout gear to get started. Nor do you have to get involved in a fitness class. Why get ahead of yourself anyway? You could get started with walking - the simplest, easiest, and most efficient form of exercise there is.

It is true weight loss is a primary motive for those aiming to become physically active. For this reason, it is natural to seek out what is most effective. It is no secret running, cycling, and cardio classes are great ways to burn calories and potentially lose fat. The downside, however, is these activities are not accessible to many people. For instance, getting someone who is sedentary and overweight to start running from day one is just too much to ask.

Walking, however, is accessible to everyone. It is easy, risk-free, and can be done anywhere with nothing but regular shoes and the clothes on your back.

Walking is great for general health. It is beneficial for people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and who need to make a transition to a healthy lifestyle. And in the right circumstances, it is helpful for weight loss. On that note, one thing must be said. No matter how much exercise you do, your diet must be on point if you are to lose weight. Weight loss cannot happen without caloric restriction. If establishing a caloric deficit involves too much planning, focus on healthy eating instead. If you can learn to eat healthily first, it will make everything easier for you later on.

At the end of the day, you are going to make progress when you combine a healthy diet with a physically active lifestyle. It is inevitable. For starters, a 30 to 45 minute walk a few times a week is all that is needed. You do not have to walk every day, but it does have to become a regular habit.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.