Benefits of walking in Diabetes patients

Walking is one of the most popular and widely recommended forms of physical activity for people with diabetes. It’s easy, relaxing and can be done practically anywhere. Most important, it’s highly effective at controlling blood glucose levels. Still, there are important things for people with diabetes to consider before taking off.

The Benefits of Walking

By walking every day, for 30 minutes to an hour, diabetics can reap the following benefits:

• Improved glucose control. Exercise helps muscles absorb blood sugar, preventing it from building up in the bloodstream. This effect can last for hours or even days, but it’s not permanent. That’s why walking regularly is essential for continued blood glucose control.
• Better cardiovascular fitness. Because people with diabetes are at increased risk for heart disease, this is an important benefit.
• Weight control. Regular walking burns calories; this can help control weight, which in turn can reduce health risks.

Getting the Go-ahead from a Health Care Provider

First, it’s important for a diabetic to get the OK from a health care provider for any new exercise program to make sure that the patient is fit enough to increase his or her activity levels. A health care specialist can also inform the patient of special precautions to take based on what type of diabetes he or she has. Other factors to consider include medications being taken, one’s current fitness state, glucose levels and other factors.

Walking and Diabetic Foot Care

Foot health is particularly important for anyone with diabetes, so the input of a podiatrist may be especially useful if you're considering a walking program. Blisters, abrasions and breaks in the skin of the feet are often hard to detect since foot numbness is one symptom of diabetes. These injuries are slow to heal and prone to infection, since another symptom of diabetes is reduced blood flow in the small blood vessels of the extremities. A podiatrist or other health care specialist can recommend alternative forms of exercise if a foot condition makes walking difficult.

The Importance of Shoes

It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on walking shoes, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

• The shoes need to fit comfortably, with plenty of room in the toe area. They should not rub at the heel. Some walking shoes include an extra pair of eyelets close to your ankle. Lacing these may help prevent heel friction.
• Walking shoes are different from running shoes. Walking shoes have flatter, broader soles, which help improve balance.
• The staff at a “walking store,” an increasingly popular type of specialty retailer, is usually well trained at fitting walking shoes.
• Don’t forget socks. Cotton socks can bunch and retain moisture. Check out newer synthetic fabrics, such as CoolMax and Dri-Fit, that wick moisture away from the skin.

Starting a Walking Program

Now that the preliminaries are out of the way, it’s time to get started.

• Begin slowly and easily. Walking just 5 or 10 minutes on the first day is perfectly acceptable if that’s all you can accomplish. The important thing is to not get injured or sore, which could end a walking campaign at the starting line.
• Add 5 or 10 minutes per week. As one continues to improve, aim for 45 minutes to an hour, five to seven days per week. That’s an ideal amount of time for blood glucose maintenance. However, health benefits begin to accrue at just 30 minutes per day.
• Break it up. Several 10- to 15-minute sessions are just as effective as one longer walk.
• Count your steps. During the last few years, pedometers -- small devices that clip to the belt to count steps -- have become popular. They can help track total steps taken on daily walks, or all day long. Recording walking totals can be motivating.
• Find a place to walk. If one’s neighborhood is unsafe, limit walking to daytime, walk in groups or try a nearby school track, community center or shopping mall.

Special Considerations

• Always wear a diabetes ID bracelet and carry glucose pills, hard candy or sweet snacks in case blood sugar drops.
• Follow a doctor’s orders regarding when to check blood glucose levels. Diabetics may need to take readings before, after and perhaps even during their exercise routine.
• Be sure to do a foot check after each walking session and check for cuts, abrasions and blisters.

Walking with Others

It’s often valuable to have a friend join you on walks to help stay motivated, especially through busy periods, bad weather and holidays, when it’s tempting to slack off. In many communities, there are a variety of walking groups -- mall-walkers, stroller-walkers, hikers, race-walkers and groups formed by neighborhoods, religious groups and social clubs.

Check community center bulletin boards, neighborhood newsletters or postings at health clubs to find a local walking group. Enter the phrase “walking clubs” and the name of your city or town into an Internet search engine, and many other options will likely present themselves.

Preventing Depression among Children

Children are innocent beings who cannot express their emotions as strong and as clearly as adults can. Adults with their wisdom and sense of justice are able to distinguish between feelings and publicize those hide. Moreover, children are afraid to speak so clearly and often remain reluctant to their emotions. Sometimes they are too afraid to say what they suffer.

Sometimes children develop depression and an inability to communicate feelings to make the problem worse. They are difficult to handle the situation, and often no more depression. Parents keep their children closely for symptoms of depression and take the necessary measures to ensure that their children do not suffer from it.

Depression in children often loses their appetite and avoids socializing. They prefer to stay single stop hanging out with kids his age. To stop playing and resists his thoughts. These symptoms indicate that your child suffers and cannot be happy. As parents, you should comfort your child and talk to make sure they are nice and soft at the same time reassures your child.

When talking with your child, try to find the reason for their suffering. Sometimes an incident at school or a discussion with friends can also trigger this condition. If your child is able to trust you, you must be patient and listen to it. Do not overreact or get angry with your child. This can ruin any chance of frank conversation between you and your child.

Sometimes when a child sees his parents fight constantly the little things and the fight against all the time, it can make her sad. The separation of a parent, death of a loved one, etc. are some examples of situations that have a huge impact on children. During these occasions, the attention and affection of parents to help children cope. If you are unable to manage the situation, talk to a professional adviser to take to manage the situation.

• Provide your children with well-balanced foods, which will supply carbohydrate as well as protein. If you provide only carbohydrate then after a few hours (after burning off the calories) they can feel tired.

• Some alteration in diet can also leads to the depression.

• Sometime deep breathing is also to release depression from body.

• Children are always fond of chocolate, which contains excessive sugar & might motivate the allergies. Sometimes allergies are connected with mild depression.

• Gentle soothing touch always improves the feeling of bonding. Gently massage their neck, arms, back etc. Allow them to enjoy their favourite cartoon character, provide them stuffed animals to play.

• Make sure that you child participates in several activities, like- regular work outs, hiking, bike riding etc. These will help them to stay energetic.

Information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is designed to support, not replace, personal medical care and should never be used as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis, or hands-on treatment. I recommend all medical decisions be made in consultation with your personal health care provider.

7 Tips to sleep like a Dog

Ever wonder why it seems your dog is in a good mood all the waking hours of the day? Perhaps adopting a dog’s sleep habits might help you emulate the feeling.

A bad night’s sleep is the worst when it comes to getting things accomplished and feeling good during what should be a great day. The effects due to lack of sleep on mood, productivity, creativity, and even the quality of our relationships take a bigger toll on our health than most realize.

Anyone who does have trouble sleeping most likely have read all the “regular” things to do in order to get better sleep. The concept becomes nothing more than a repeated set of rules that get ignored, similar to the simple rules of training a well behaved dog.

Finding a new outlook and different perspective is the answer to changing any sort of habit you’ve developed. Sleep is no different. That being the case here are some ideas that may just be on the level of an “ah-ha moment” and getting some quality sleep along the way.

Sleep Like a Dog

Dogs may not have the same stress and anxiety as we do, but they do have certain routines you can practice that prepare you for a great night’s sleep.

Eat Several Hours Before Going To Bed

Following this rule of the paw is much easier when you are dog, generally because dogs get fed only twice a day and they have no other choice. Getting up off the couch and wandering over to the fridge to aimlessly snack isn’t an option. Maybe eating like a dog is in order for better health! Eat at meal times and don’t snack just before going to bed.

Don’t Drink Alcohol

The beverage of choice for a dog is water, again, simply because it is the only thing available. Taking alcohol out of the picture would most likely find large numbers of people wagging more. Not such a bad idea, yet we still willingly tip those unwanted calories with bad side effects regularly. If you have trouble sleeping this may be one to give a serious try.

Reduce the Bright Light of the Computer Screen

Computers, Blackberries, iPhones, the television… we live in a digital age and much of our entertainment comes from our computer screen. If we aren’t working on them, we are playing on Twitter or Facebook, “chatting” with a friend or catching up on a bit of work before going to sleep. It is almost a ridiculous thought to make it a rule to limit screen time before bed these days. If it is an impossibility for you, try dimming the screen, creating a low light effect to enhance preparation for sleep.

Take a Power Nap in a Sunny Spot

Ever notice how your dog will find the spot in the house where the sun is shining through the window creating a nice cozy warm sleeping zone? Sleep is sleep is sleep and especially if you are lacking enough sleep at night by all means go for the power nap during the day. Find a cozy warm spot, curl up, catch a few refreshing zz’s just like your dog, and go back to a productive day.

Get Out and Exercise

Most exercise should be done in the morning or afternoon. Don’t get your heart racing just before you plan on shutting it all down for sleep. Dogs love the chance to run around and stretch it out first thing in the morning, regardless of the weather, time of year, or lack of coffee. Head out the door with your dog first thing in the morning to set your day off to a better start. Numerous studies conclude exercise induces good sleep habits.

Get Enough Sunlight

Dogs typically don’t understand the odd hours we humans have started keeping. Staying up later and later into the night is becoming normal. Before we had such great late night television shows available people went to sleep closer to sunset and awoke at sunrise.

Dogs seems to maintain this routine better than people now days. It may have something to do with the fact that dogs usually get the appropriate amount of sunlight. There is a real advantage to having to go outside to go to the bathroom! On any account, getting sunlight every day can help with your sleep cycles so make sure to get outside and soak up some real daylight.

A Comfortable Bed

Dogs sleep in many positions. Most dogs have a little ritual before laying down. Fluff up the bed, turn around three times and curl up in a nice warm little ball. Once in a deep sleep you’ll see dogs roll over on their back completely stretched out. Comfortable. Asleep. Set your sleeping space up so it is comfortable and dark, with room to curl up and stretch out in your best slumbering moments.

Think of it as your den. Take the time to slow down and get away from the computer, the phone, TV and the hustle bustle of the world. Take a rest in your own comfy den and come out refreshed and ready to wag.

Information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is designed to support, not replace, personal medical care and should never be used as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis, or hands-on treatment. I recommend all medical decisions be made in consultation with your personal health care provider.