Effect of Walking on Sand With Dietary Intervention in Overweight Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Uncontrolled T2DM has shown to cause multiple complications and alter the normal physiological process of the body. Prompt dietary management and regular exercises are reported to improve blood glucose homeostasis and eventually improve the quality of life. Physical activity such as regular walking is associated with multiple physical and psychological benefits. Walking and a healthy diet is a cornerstone in the treatment of T2DM. Several studies have shown positive short-term effects of walking in T2DM. Combination of walking and weight training is reported to cause cardiovascular adaptations, muscle hypertrophy, increased capillary density in the muscles of patients with T2DM as well as in healthy people. Furthermore, 30 minutes of brisk walking has shown to improve blood glycemic metabolism and reduces cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, lipid disorders, and fat mass buildup. However, the elderly with mild to moderate arthritic changes especially in knee joints make walking a bit more challenging. Sand walking would be the best alternative than firm surface walking with less joint reaction forces. To the best of our knowledge, scientific literature lacks evidence about the effect of sand walking combined with individualized dietary intervention in T2DM. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of sand walking as compared to normal walking on glycemic metabolism, weight, and quality of life in T2DM. The Investigators hypothesize that SW would result in better health benefits than NW in T2DM.