Taking a short walk after dinner may help older adults reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes according to a new study out today in the journal Diabetes.

Researchers at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) asked ten adults, aged 60 and over, to participate in three exercise programs, four weeks apart.  All of the adults were at risk for type 2 diabetes, with higher than normal blood sugar and lack of physical activity.  Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes.

The order of the exercise programs was randomly assigned.  They included walking 15 minutes after each meal; walking for 45 minutes at 10:30 a.m.; and walking for 45 minutes at 4:30 p.m.  Walks were on a treadmill at about three miles per hour.  Blood sugar was continuously measured.  The results showed that walking after dinner was the most effective of the three routines in preventing elevated blood sugar.

Lead researcher Loretta DiPietro is chair of the exercise science at SPHHS.  She told Medical News Today that although we may tempted to relax, walking after the evening meal is important.  Blood sugar has been observed to rise after dinner, typically the largest meal of the day.  But walking significantly reduced the rise, even into the next morning.

And while other researchers have shown the value of exercise in treating diabetes, this is the first study to consider timing of that exercise.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says about 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes.  People with the condition have elevated blood sugar levels.  The Mayo Clinic suggests that without  intervention, prediabetes is likely to become type 2 diabetes in less than ten years.  There are 25 million people already living with diabetes in the U.S.

The ADA says people living with diabetes do not make enough insulin or the body can’t use insulin correctly.  When we eat, the body breaks down sugars and starches into glucose.  Glucose is fuel for cells in the body.  Insulin takes the glucose from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood, rather than going into the cells, it can lead to complications.

“These findings are good news for people in their 70s or 80s who may feel more capable of engaging in intermittent physical activity on a daily basis, “ DiPietro said in a statement.  She suggests walking the dog or running an errand after dinner. Can’t go outside?  Marching in place will work too DiPietro says.  And make sure to walk every day.