This article first appeared in Kannada in ಕ್ಷ ಕಿರಣ, Dr Shashikiran Umakanth’s column in the Vishwavani daily. The Inside Story is its English edition. ಈ ಲೇಖನವನ್ನು ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿ
This is one of the most common statements I hear in the clinic, especially from women.
“Doctor, from the moment I wake up until I go to bed, sweeping, washing dishes, cooking and getting the children ready for school, I don’t have a single minute to sit down. I must go around the house dozens of times. After doing all this, why do I need to go for a separate walk? By the end of the day I am drenched in sweat and exhausted. Isn’t that a workout by itself?”
On the surface, this feels entirely logical. From a physiological standpoint, however, it is a significant misconception. Doing household chores and doing dedicated exercise to control diabetes are two completely different activities for the body.
City Traffic vs. Highway Mileage
To understand this, let us take the example of driving a car.
What happens when you drive in heavy city traffic? You move a short distance, hit the brakes, shift back to first gear, press the clutch, and stop again. This constant stop-and-go burns extra fuel, heats up the engine and leaves the driver thoroughly exhausted. Yet the mileage is next to nothing! Now take the same car onto a highway and drive it steadily in fourth or fifth gear for 40 minutes without a break. The engine runs smoothly, and you get excellent mileage.
Our daily household chores are exactly like driving in city traffic. You walk from the kitchen to the hall (first gear), suddenly remember something, and stop (the brakes). You never get to take continuous, rhythmic steps, so your heart rate never climbs into its aerobic zone. That is why housework can certainly tire you out, but it neither improves your fitness, nor lowers your blood glucose, nor burns body fat.
The Ox at the Oil Mill vs. the Free-Running Racehorse
Pacing endlessly around the house is like the ox tied to a traditional oil mill. Blindfolded, it walks in circles all day long. By evening it is tired and sweating as though it had travelled a hundred kilometres, yet it is still in exactly the same spot!
If we want to drive diabetes away, we cannot be the ox at the oil mill. We must become free-running racehorses.
Proper walking means swinging your arms, moving at a brisk pace, and walking without a break for at least 30 to 40 minutes. Only then does the heart pump hard and the circulation speed up. In an earlier article I described insulin resistance as “rust forming on the locks of our cells”. To clear that rust, continuous, sweat-inducing aerobic exercise is essential. If 40 minutes at a stretch is not possible, walking for 20 minutes twice a day is a good alternative.
So, What Should We Do?
Let go of the excuse that “I don’t have time, and my housework is enough.” Out of the 1,440 minutes in a day, set aside just 40 for your body. Put on a good pair of shoes or sandals, step out of the house, and walk in a park or a playground.
This time is not just for your body. It also gives your mind a real break from the tension of a whole day of housework. Those 40 minutes belong to you and your health alone.
Remember: Housework only cleans the house; brisk, continuous walking is what cleans your blood vessels and your body. Even if you do the housework in first gear, walk as if you were cruising down the highway in top gear. Don’t be the ox at the oil mill; be a racehorse on the track of good health!
