It is recognised that physical activity reduces the risk of a person developing type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease, both of which have been associated with obesity. Studies have shown that regular brisk walking is just as effective in guarding against heart disease as the more strenuous forms of physical exercise that have gained popularity during recent years. A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association for October 20, 1999, indicates that walking is just as successful as the more organised exercise regimens in warding off type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have not examined the relative benefits of different forms of exercise.
A total of 1,419 women with type 2 diabetes was compared with a group of sedentary controls. Few of the test subjects had engaged in regular physical activities. In those who practised calisthenics or aerobics, jogging or tennis, the relative risk of developing diabetes was lower than in the less active, and there was little difference between the protective effects of different exercises involving similar expenditures of energy. Since excessive body weight and obesity increase the difficulty experienced by women in taking exercise, it is not surprising that this tends to be neglected by those in greatest need of it. Since both walking and more sophisticated modes of physical exertion result in a lowered risk of diabetes in later life, the recommendation is that women should practise exercise of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, for 30 minutes, preferably on every day of the week, and not look to occasional high-intensity physical exercises.