The power of the morning walk

Christine Manga is out to persuade all of us to start our day with a morning walk.


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That’s it, a morning walk! We are not all fond of exercise, let alone first thing in the morning. Thing is, it comes with a host of health benefits both mental and physical.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend 150 – 300 minutes of moderate activity per week. This can be broken into short daily sessions. Aiming for 30 minutes daily for five days a week is a good starting point. WHO does state that if this is not possible, any physical activity is better than nothing. All activity counts.

Benefits of a morning walk

  • It improves insulin sensitivity which is usually worst in the morning. The more insulin sensitive your body is, the better the glucose regulation will be during the day.
  • Walking increases energy levels and wakefulness, clearing the mind and setting a positive tone for the day. It assists in increasing endorphins, the feel-good hormone, reducing stress, which is another benefit as stress causes an increase in blood glucose levels and blood pressure.
  • Many people with diabetes also have hypertension. A morning blood pressure surge between 6 – 10am is common. This surge may be worse for people with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep disorders. The circadian cycle, hormonal changes, sleep quality, and sympathetic activity are all causes of the surge. Walking in the morning can negate this surge. Walking increases the pulse and lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation and can help to lower cholesterol levels.
  • Bone density decreases as we age. Exercise slows and prevents this. Walking is a weight bearing exercise improving muscle strength, balance and coordination, resulting in a reduction in fall risk.
  • Regular walking assists in weight management, maintaining and sometimes lowering weight.
  • Regular walking has been strongly linked to an improvement in cognitive function, such as enhanced problem-solving skills, memory and attention from the increased blood flow to the brain. As little as 3 800 steps daily saw a 25% risk reduction of developing dementia. This is especially beneficial as Type 2 diabetes has been shown to be an independent risk factor for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Wake up and overcome the challenges

Walking in the morning can be a real challenge. Firstly, getting up can be difficult, well at least for some of us. Pressing snooze on the alarm is one of the easiest things to do. Not being accountable makes the snooze button even more tempting to press. Often morning stiffness is present, it is normal after periods of rest. In the older population, it can be osteoarthritis, further discouraging walking.

So, there are challenges but there are also solutions.

  1. Start off by putting your alarm out of reach, forcing you to get up to switch it off; you are then already up.
  2. Find a walking partner or group. Being accountable drives you to attend, knowing someone is waiting for you. Walking with others helps to pass time quickly.
  3. If you prefer to walk alone this can be your quiet time or time to listen to audio books or podcasts. Just be sure to be aware of your safety and surroundings.
  4. To alleviate the morning stiffness, start with gentle stretching or a warm bath. Dress weather appropriately.

The cheap ticket to health

Walking is cheap and easily accessible, enabling most people regardless of their age, gender and fitness level to take part. It has a low risk of injury compared to running and is an easy activity to sustain. Some people may migrate from a walk to a jog to an eventual run. This is not necessary as the benefits of walking are as great as running but without the impact on knees, hips, and ankles.

Walking should be done briskly to increase the heart rate. Power walking is a special walking style that is much faster regular walking. This allows you to gain walking benefits in a shorter time.

The daily ten thousand steps was advised for health benefits, but this number is being reviewed and seems to be getting lower with one study citing 4 000 steps as sufficient to improve health and reduce premature death from all causes.

Step counters are becoming cheaper and are also becoming a standard feature on most cell phones, allowing you to record and improve your stats.

If it’s not possible to harness the power of a morning walk, doing it later in the day will still have benefits. The secret is to be regular.

Christine Manga (Post Grad Dip Diabetes and Msc Diabetes) is a professional nurse and a diabetes nurse educator. She has worked with Dr Angela Murphy at CDE Centre, Sunward Park since 2012.

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Christine Manga (Post Grad Dip Diabetes and Msc Diabetes) is a professional nurse and a diabetes nurse educator. She has worked with Dr Angela Murphy at CDE Centre, Sunward Park since 2012.


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