Tomorrow (April 7) is World Health Day –and one of the major themes this year is
TACKLING DIABETES!
Exercise is a key element in the battle.
Walking as part of an exercise campaign has been important to me–doubly so since my three precious stents were fitted four years ago.
I asked my cardiologist, Monsieur Lefevre (the least feverish man you could meet), why the blockage I had in my main artery showed no symptoms–no shortage of breath when out on my walks. “It dulls the nervous system,” he said, thus turning off the alarm mechanism.
“Keep on walking!” he advised, after the procedure.
And I do–every day, for about 25 minutes.
I’ve written three or four blogs about walking, but this is my favorite:
On WALKING:
The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.
– Thomas Jefferson
All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
– Friedrich Nietzsche
I was walking six times a week, usually for about 40 minutes. I tried to do a circular route, which suited me better.
[Now I usually limited myself to 25 minutes or so, every day]
I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.
– Abraham Lincoln
I liked the freedom of it, and starting from home–no time spent travelling to exercise. And there was no equipment needed—just a good pair of shoes and warm clothing. I usually took the same route–which never felt the same two days running–so to speak!– varying with the weather and changing seasons.
To find new things, take the path you took yesterday.
– John Burroughs
Then one day I overdid it–and my left knee felt bad.
I had to stop for a while and missed it. I used an exercise bike–but it wasn’t the same.
Gradually my knee healed and I started walking again–but less. Now it’s three or four times a week– preserving old knees.
If one keeps on walking everything will be alright.
– Soren Kierkegaard
Thoughts come clearly while one walks.
– Thomas Mann
It is not talking but walking that will bring us to heaven.
– Matthew Henry
Straw men stretching after a walk…
Type 2 Diabetes is a devil.
It’s a sneaky beast, a lurker and a patient one.
Diabetes UK estimates that there are about 549,000 people in Britain who have diabetes but have NOT yet been diagnosed.
Since 1996, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled–from 1.4 million to almost 3.5 million.
It’s diagnosed with a simple blood test. (I had NO symptoms!)
Wise to GET TESTED.
Robin Ellis 
Hi Robin, how did you know you needed stents if you had no symptoms, makes one think .. how would l know if l had no symptoms to speak of. l have just come back from 1 hour and 30 minutes on the treadmill, just walking at a brisk pace, no running at my age and with my knee and hip joints, but sweating ++ (sorry to be so descriptive). The weather is not always conducive to going outside here.
I had an annual stress test, Ingrid.
Thank you for this timely reminder Robin about the power of walking. I don’t do enough of it and keep promising myself that tomorrow I’ll start but never do. One day tomorrow won’t come and it’ll be my own fault. So thank you. And keep well.
Thanks Robin, I tend to get lazy about walking but this will encourage me. Overdoing sometimes kills the desire. xxx
Hi Rosemary! Shortish walks is the answer for me.
Hi Robin I walk 45 mins twice a day with the greyhound. Love it so much even in the Winter. My mum Betty (whom I’m wrote to you about last year) suffered another brain bleed BUT is recovering enough to go back down to Cornwall to visit some more Poldark sights. Keep well, hope to meet one day.
Jane 😀
My Mum was told by her optician recently (she has glaucoma) that she may have Type 2 and to get tested. She received the news yesterday that she doesn’t have it, but I’d already bought her your new book and she has enjoyed cooking from it so much that despite the happy diagnosis, she is going to carry on using it! She does eat the Mediterranean way anyway,so no great changes… but she perhaps indulges in a little too much dark chocolate! So another happy reader! I totally agree that less exercise taken regularly is so much better than an exhausting binge now and again! I try and walk everywhere…it’s a challenge to myself to see how long I can leave the car in its space for every week!
So happy to hear your mother got good news. Happy too that she likes and is using the book–whoopee!
You are wonderful to defend the book on Amazon as you have–it’s important.
The publisher I hope will consider adding something on the book at some point.
rxx
Robin, you’ve heard this story before but it may be interesting for others. I took up walking after being diagnosed with full Type 2 Diabetes. Somewhere, I acquired the idea that what was required was 10,000 steps a day. I bought a step measurement device (these days it’s a Fitbit). I found that general activity “earned” about 2000 steps, and I had to make time for an hour’s specific walking a day to make up the remaining 8,000 steps. After four months, my measurements were below pre-Diabetic level. After a year, and for the last two years, my blood sugar levels have been at or below those of a healthy adult male in his 60s, and the cholesterol likewise. And I walked and walked and walked, out of the streets and seafront in my home town, into the Kent countryside, through woods and paths and trackways crossing grainfields and meadows with endless horizons. I have walked long distances in France, in the Pyrenees and Haute Savoie, and shorter ones around Lautrec. Tomorrow I will walk ten miles to Canterbury in the early morning, across the great woods of the North Downs and down to the Cathedral to give thanks. For the woods and fields, for family and friendship, and just maybe for the Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis which changed my life.
Fantastic, Richard–really impressive. It can be done!
On knees …
I suffered from aching and intolerant knees after a sixty years of misuse and neglect. In the last six months, I have added a simple daily routine. I sit on a straight backed chair and raise the lower part of each leg in turn, from vertical to horizontal, while keeping my upper legs firmly planted on the chair seat. I do this slowly, both raising and lowering the leg, thereby strengthening the muscular structure (muscles, tendons, ligaments) around the knee. I do this thirty times a day for each leg. The effect on my knees has been remarkable. It will not work for everyone, but if you suffer from knee problems, then it’s worth a try.
I’m going to try this!
Re knees, very gently and only raise the lower leg 45 degrees to begin. If it feels comfortable, increase to 90 degrees, horizontal, after a week or two !
We have a young border collie and she makes sure we walk every day for at least an hour! Through blizzards, storms, sunny weather, whatever, the consequences of not walking are not pleasant! The rewards of taking her are many, watching the changing seasons through the woods and fields and a happy dog not to mention lowered bp and weight! Would recommend!
Due to a knee injury & operation, I now walk about 25 minutes every other day. When I cannot go out to walk, I use an exercise bike with travel dvds made for the bike so I have a way to go on biking excursions. My favorite time of the year to go walking is in the Fall.
3 stents it is? I got 5…;-)… But in any case I’d have to say the attitude for each is none the wear!
Liked those quotes. And one from the great essayist Montaigne:
‘A man should ever be ready booted to take his journey’
Whether it be ‘in circles’ or on the ‘straight and narrow’. Walking is great! And a great combo with the requisite meds.
Rich
I need to get walking now I work from home and sit at my desk for far too long… it’s so much easier when you have a dog or a baby in a pram! I could just park by the Botanical Gardens after I’ve dropped my daughter off at college in the morning and walk around there for half an hour, and I’m sure I’d work better once I got home 🙂
It’s quite frightening to read about the amount of people in the UK that don’t know they have diabetes!! It’s so important to walk ,I have an app on my I phone that tells me how many miles I do in a day ,I aim for 10,000 steps a day but always end up doing more!! Especially on Hampstead Heath with friends we tend to walk and talk and get lost !!
I walk at least 4 hours a day with my springer Alf, 1 1/2 mornings and 2 1/2 afternoons
So is the doubling a indication of lifestyle, population growth or better health care? I heard that where I live many people are at risk, and in an area where we have access to a great diet, north-western California.
As always, good advice. I’ve read that walking 25 minutes each day will extend one’s life by seven years. That should get people off the couch.
Thanks, Robin!
I too enjoy my daily walk. Good for the body and soul. Favorite thing to do while walking? Listening to your audible book of course! So enjoyable, the miles fly by!
Maureen–thank you–that’s lovely–I’m chuffed while your puffed!!
Hello Robin yes walking is so good for you, Jimmy who is insulin diabetic walks every day,otherwise he gets cramp in his lower legs and is in pain.
About six weeks ago I was told that I maybe border line diabetic too, ye gods both of us oh well at least I know the drill.I usually go walking on a Wednesday with my local walking group, but my knee was painful yesterday and it was pouring rain so I didn’t go but I wish I had. It’s so good for your whole body and the mind to you notice so may things you take for granted and there are always other people doing the same thing.
Best wishes to you both.😻
,
Sorry to hear this, Elaine. I hope your knee behaves. You know the drill as you say–and that’s half the battle.
I love walking have a bad left knee but it is still best too keep active, my favourite motto use it or loose it.Keep up the good work Robin.
Thanks for the walking reminder. My dad was a big walker and I shall try to get up to his level. Robin, please keep up the walks. You are looking very fit.
After being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and offered anti depressants for pain relief which I’m reluctant to use, I believe that my ailments are kept at bay by exercising daily little and often, too extreme can be detrimental but we go out everyday now and I find sitting around just makes my symptoms worse!! Onwards and upwards!!