Manage high blood sugar: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Taking short breaks from sitting time, also known as ‘activity snacking’, is a simple, cost-free way to lower average blood sugar levels, compared to sedentary sitting and potentially Lowers the risk of future complications.
“For people with type 1 diabetes, managing blood sugar levels on a day-to-day basis is relentless. Being physically active is important in managing the condition, but incorporating exercise into your daily routine can be challenging, And even people who exercise frequently can often spend a lot of time sitting or lying down,” said Dr Elizabeth Robertson, our director of research from Diabetes UK.
Robertson suggests making a simple, practical change like taking phone calls while walking, or setting a timer to remind you to take breaks to avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Previous research has shown that by reducing the amount of time spent sitting, frequent walks can help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar levels and risk of complications. This is because being active can increase the amount of glucose (sugar) used by the muscles and help the body use insulin more effectively.
But until now it was not known whether people with type 1 diabetes might see the same benefits.
To find out, the team recruited 32 participants who were asked to remain seated for a full seven hours during one session. During the second, he broke up his sitting time with three-minute bouts of light-intensity exercise every 30 minutes.
Participants wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to track their blood glucose levels during and after each sitting session for 48 hours.
Breaks from regular walking result in lower average blood sugar levels. Importantly, breaks from sitting also did not increase low blood sugar levels – a phenomenon common with more traditional types of physical activity and exercise.
“Combining long periods of sitting with light-intensity activity is something people can do whether they currently exercise or not. For some people, activity snacking can be an important step toward more regular physical activity or exercise.” whereas, for others, it may be a simple and acceptable intervention to help manage blood sugar levels,” said Dr Matthew Campbell at the University of Sunderland.