Keeping Moving

The New York Times Health section had an article about a recent very interesting study performed at the University of Missouri and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise about the importance of keeping moving. The researchers found volunteers who normally walked more than the recommended 10,000 steps per day. In fact, during the first phase of the study when they went about their days as they normally would, they averaged almost 13,000 steps per day. The subjects also wore glucose monitors that could check their blood sugar levels continuously throughout the day. During this initial phase, there were no perceptible blood sugar spikes after they ate a meal. Blood sugar spikes and swings after meals have been linked to the development of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. In the second part of the study, the subjects decreased their steps by more than half. At this point they were averaging 4,300 steps per day. They cut out their exercise, chose the elevator over stairs, parked close, you get the idea. Now after they ate, their blood sugar increased by 26% on average. With each successive day the peaks grew more. The unused muscles did not need to draw sugar from the blood, so the blood sugar spiked. For very short periods this is probably not a concern. But several days of minimal movement can add up. It is important to get up from the chair and keep moving. A pedometer can really tell you if you're moving enough throughout the day. Of course if swimming is your sport, you'll probably have to make some allowances, although you still need to move throughout the day. One bout of exercise does not do the trick. Movement throughout the day is important.