WALKING: the diabetes destroyer

For the nearly five million people who have diabetes in the UK, walking will make you live longer and better, and it might even stop the symptoms altogether.

DIABETES IS A KILLER. It can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. It can also cause complications including nerve damage, blindness, and sores and infections on your feet which can lead to amputations. It’s common too – 4.9 million people suffer from it and the charity Diabetes UK predicts this number will rise to 5.5 million by 2030. The disease is winning.

But not if walking has anything to do with it. By getting outside and clocking up miles, you’re helping turn the tide on this wretched condition. Not only does it lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes (the most common kind), it also eases the symptoms of those who already have it to the point where some have no symptoms at all.

In fact, the more science learns, the more we realise just how important walking is. “We always used to look at lifestyle as a whole, but didn’t know for sure what the

Remission in type 2 diabetes means you don't need to take medication.