WALKING...THE BEST EXERCISE FOR DIABETES

Exercise is something most of us love to hate. But there is good news...walking is one of the safest and easiest ways to get the required amount of physical activity we need each week. It's cheaper than a gym membership, more fun than a stationary bike, more convenient than swimming, and easier on the muscles, joints, and feet than running! Let's review the benefits of walking when someone has type 2 diabetes.

Research shows sustained, regular exercise, like walking, reduces the risk of several life-threatening diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and probably certain cancers. For people with diabetes, it improves the way insulin works and gives you improved blood glucose readings!

 It is important to take precautions by checking your blood glucose (sugar) before and after workouts. Foot care is important as well. Check your feet before and after workouts for blisters, breaks in the skin, redness or swelling.

To achieve these health benefits, you need to accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most, if not all days of the week. This goal can be accomplished with a single brisk 30-minute walk, several shorter walks that add up to 30 minutes, or with a short walk combined with other physical pursuits, such as yard work, or energetic housework.

The faster you swing your arms as you walk, the faster you'll be able to walk, since your arms and legs move in sync. To swing your arms faster, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle rather than letting your arms hang down at your sides, and don't let your hands swing higher than chest level. When walking, push off with the balls of your feet, and take quicker strides, not longer ones, since extending your normal stride can cause low-back pain. Your body will automatically choose the right stride length that works best for you.  Remember, keep your head up, shoulders back, and chest out to maintain a comfortable upright posture.

 If you are concerned about pushing yourself too hard during the work-out, take notice of what your body is telling you. You're probably over-exercising if walking feels like drudgery, you have signs of low blood sugar, muscle cramps, leg pain, breathlessness or extreme fatigue.  It's best to walk with someone else, just in case you need extra encouragement or a reminder to check your blood sugar while exercising.

If you would like to get started soon with a walking program, call the Wise County Extension office at 940/627-3341 and ask about Walk Across Texas. This is a free, fun, group physical activity program. All you need is a group of 8 friends, family members, or co-workers who want to keep track of the amount they walk for 8 weeks. You can encourage one another to keep going and see if your team can reach your destination first before other groups participating too. Walk Across Texas starts March 4 and continues through April 29.

Remember, before starting any exercise program, even walking – check with your doctor!

The source for this article came from Consumer Reports on Health, "How to take a healthy walk" June 2000.

Walk Across Texas Flyer

15th Annual Wise County Walk Across Texas

Through a modest increase in daily activity, most Americans can improve their health.  WALK ACROSS TEXAS is a program that persuades and motivates people of all ages to make the most important change...to get started.  It is a fun and flexible way to exercise.  The program is simple, free and safe.  All you need is a team of eight people to get moving, with one person being designated as the “team captain.”  The team who walks farthest “across Texas” will win, but everyone who participates will take home a healthy habit - walking for fitness.

            Team members report their daily mileage to the team captain, and the team captain reports the individual and team total miles on the following web address: http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu  or  to the Extension office at the end of each week by: telephone (940.627.3341), fax (940.627.8070) or e-mail khbrown@ag.tamu.edu.

            Teams are not required to walk or ride together, although they may if they desire.  Teams simply pool their mileage each week to work toward “walking across Texas”.   Members may walk, jog, ride a bike, skateboard, roller blade, tread mill, swim, spin and/or run.  A large Texas map showing the progress of teams will be in Texas AgriLife Extension, Wise County office, and at other various locations.

            So dust off your walking shoes and prepare to join us in this 8 week journey beginning on March 4, and continuing through April 29.    

            Walk Across Texas is sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension. We are looking for captains and team members.  Please encourage organizations in which you are involved to participate in this endeavor.

            Remember prevention works! Individuals can save a lot of pain, worry and money by avoiding health problems. I encourage you to join the Walk Across Texas Program today.

            Call or come by Texas AgriLife  Extension Service, Wise County office, located at 206 South State, in Decatur or call 940-627-3341 to pick up your Walk Across Texas Team Captain Packet. 

GOT PECANS??

Pecan Field Day is a great way to learn more about your orchard and learn some new techniques!

Pasture Management Workshop

Here is GREAT program we have on the books make sure to sign up early!!

Treating Calves for Parasites

Over the past 20-35 years trials in Texas beef herds have demonstrated that treating nursing calves and the dams for internal parasites increases weaning weights. Most of the trials were conducted in spring calving herds in Central Texas. Various wormers were used including Dectomax, Safe-Guard and Ivomec and treatments were administered to calves and dams.  Treated and untreated pairs were pastured together. Treatments were usually given in May, June or July when the average weights of groups of calves ranged from 200 to 350 pounds.

Many trials have been conducted over the years concluding that weaning weights of treated calves averaged 25 pounds over the untreated calves.

Researchers at Texas A&M agree that there is no need to perform fecal counts to decide whether to deworm nursing calves. They will be parasitized and they will benefit from being treated.

The bottom line is the relationship of benefit to cost. The average benefit is the income from the 25 extra pounds of production and the cost is the sum of the expense of working the cattle plus the wormer costs.  Wormers can cost as little as $2 per head up to $4 per head. With the high prices of today’s calves, deworming should bring an additional profit of $ 25-30 per calf at weaning.

Deworming nursing beef calves is highly profitable for Texas producers, but fewer than 10 percent currently use the practice.

Deciding to deworm or not to deworm nursing calves is easy. Don’t worry about whether your neighbor’s calves are infected with gastrointestinal parasites. They are! Deworming will increase profits. The best approach is the NIKE approach. JUST DO IT!

Women & Heart Disease

A little over half of women know the leading cause of death for women is heart disease. Almost 500,000 women die from cardiovascular diseases, while 270,000 women die from all forms of cancer combined.

Because so many studies are reported in the news—some with conflicting findings—about half of women report being confused about how to reduce their risks for heart disease.

            Experts at the National Institutes of Health agree, however, there are five essential things women can do to reduce their risks, even if they know heart disease runs in their family:

1. Do not smoke, and, if you do, quit. Keep trying even if you have tried many times. Ask your doctor about tobacco cessation medications. Use the counseling offered by the National Cancer Institute at 1-877-44U-QUIT.

2. Aim for a healthy weight.

3. Become more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes on all or almost all days each week. Walking is a great way to be active, whether walking indoors on a treadmill or outside.

4. Eat smart. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and moderate in total fats.

5. Know your blood pressure, total HDL and LDL cholesterol, and blood glucose. Ask your doctor to do these tests and to inform you as to whether or not the numbers are within the recommended limits. Ask what you need to do if your numbers are outside the recommended range.

    Walking is such an important way to reduce cardiovascular risks for both women and men. Every year, Texas AgriLife Extension in Wise County offers an eight-week program called Walk Across Texas to help people get started and establish the habit of physical activity.  This program will be starting in early March. Watch this news article for specific details.

     

  To find out more about Walk Across Texas, go to http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.eduhttp://county-tx.tamu.edu/   or call the Extension office at 940/627-341. Next week’s article includes information on Heart Smart eating.