About Walking & Diabetes: John Joseph, Part 3

WalkIcon John Joseph has used walking to successfully manage his Type 2 diabetes.

When he was first diagnosed about five years ago, his wife Sandy says she feared complications and how diabetes might take its toll on her partner. Sandy understood exercise could be helpful for him but she’s into warm pool therapy and water aerobics—not exactly John’s first choices. These days, they each do their own thing when it comes to exercise. According to Sandy, “John looked into ways to get healthier and decided to start with walking. I’m so proud of him. I admire his diligence—even now as we’re talking, he’s on a bike ride! Seven days a week he gets some kind of exercise into that day.”

With a ‘can do’ spirit, support from family and thorough knowledge of his community’s resources for nutrition information and fitness activities, John is off diabetes medication and on track for a healthy life. Here’s his comment about walking and diabetes.

John Joseph: Only 15% of diabetics are controlling their disease through diet and exercise. The rest are using medication. That blood sugar messes up everything in your body so it’s good to get your walking regimen together. Walking can help you. It can save you.

The upside for walkers who do take diabetes medication is this: if you’re on beta blockers, your pulse rate doesn’t go up and you won’t get out of breath. For example, some walkers will have rates of 180 or 200. If you’re on the medication, yours won’t go beyond 120.

Target heart is an important concept. Even on a volkswalk I’ll lag behind or do a late start then make a game out of trying to walk fast enough to catch up. I try fast sprints and a lot of other little things to get an aerobic workout in there.

It’s the same benefit that the elliptical trainer provides. You’ve got to really crank to get your heart rate high enough but I do it while I’m reading. My last book was a Ken Follett mystery. His books are a fast-paced read-- I’m not into philosophy any more :D.

Read the other parts of this WalkIcon series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

Tags: John Joseph, WalkIcon, Diabetes