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 