A brisk(ish) walk above 2.5 mph cuts diabetes risk

There may be a simple step to reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes: walking faster than 2.5 mph.
A study including half a million participants from the United States, Britain, and Japan discovered that persons who walked faster were less likely to be diagnosed with the disease, irrespective of the distance they covered.
Every 0.6 mph increase in walking pace above strolling at less than 2 mph was linked to a 9 per cent lower risk of diabetes. The average walking speed of 2- 3 mph was associated with a 15 per cent lower risk and 3-4 mph with a 24 per cent lower risk, while striding at above 4 mph was linked to a 39 per cent lower risk of the disease.
Researchers from Oslo New University College in Norway, Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and Imperial College London participated in the study. It was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It combined data from earlier research studies that measured walking speed and exercise and matched it with diabetes diagnostic records. In the quickest category, the risk decrease equated to 2.24 fewer type 2 diabetes cases per 100 individuals.
By 2045, there will be 783 million adults worldwide with type 2 diabetes, compared to the current number of 537 million. The researchers said walking was “a simple and inexpensive type of physical activity and is associated with several social, mental and physical health benefits”, so could be a useful way to stave off the disease.