TUESDAY, Oct.

18, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- For people with type 2 diabetes, a sh

ort walk after eating may help lower blood sugar levels more than exercising at
other times of the day, a new study shows.
A measurement of blood sugar called postprandial glycemia, which has been linked
with heart disease risk, averaged 12 percent lower when study participants took
a walk after eating, compared with those who exercised at other times. The larg
est drop in postprandial glycemia, 22 percent, was achieved by walking after din
ner, the study authors found.
"If you have type 2 diabetes, there is a guideline to be active for at least 150
minutes a week," said study author Andrew Reynolds, a researcher at the Univers
ity of Otago, in New Zealand.
But, he added, "the benefits we observed due to physical activity after meals su
ggest that current guidelines should be amended to specify after-meal activity,
particularly when meals contain a substantial amount of carbohydrates," he said.
"Consider walking after you eat as part of your daily routine," he added.
However, one U.S. diabetes specialist offered a caveat on that advice.
Exercise is indeed part of good management and care for those with type 2 diabet
es, said Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefio
re Medical Center in New York City.