Diabetes and the Power of Exercise

So we did a study, we've done multiple studies on individuals who have diabetes. And it's just amazing to me, it always just, even though I've done this many times, it continues to surprise me, the power of regular exercise in preventing an individual who has diabetes from having a heart attack or having a stroke and just overall maintaining quality of life. So if you have diabetes and you're starting to exercise, you are one of those individuals that needs to talk to your doctor about it.

That said, if you start slow, if you start with a walking program and you listen to your body, the risk is extremely low. Where we get ourselves in trouble is when we go too intense too fast. It's been 30 years yet we want to go back to that high school track workout. That's where we get ourselves in trouble, which is unfortunate because it's amazing, the return on investment from a little bit of activity.

If you just walk a little bit, you get tremendous health benefits. You don't have to train for a marathon, so start slow, build slow, know the symptoms of something bad, and make sure your doctor knows you're starting the program. There is no age limit. We just finished a study in 75 to 90-year-olds looking at the role of walking and preventing disability. A regular walking program with a little bit of weight training reduced the risk of long-term disability by 27%.