How a 10-minute walk after meals can boost digestion and lower blood sugar
And lately, this quiet, everyday routine is catching on well beyond its cultural roots.
You don't need to sign up for a gym or even change into sneakers. Just walk. Literally. Around your house, your building, the street- just about anywhere. And you don't have to break a sweat either. A few minutes is all it takes.
Lowers blood pressure
While most people think about food choices when it comes to managing glucose levels, movement, especially right after eating, can be just as powerful.
A 2022 meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine found that walking for just two to five minutes after a meal can help reduce the sharp rise in blood glucose that typically follows eating. The benefits were noticeable even with slow-paced walking.
'Standing is better than sitting, but light walking had a significantly stronger impact,' noted Aidan Buffey, one of the researchers from the University of Limerick. Compared to sitting or standing, walking helped participants maintain more stable blood sugar and insulin levels.
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The activity is crucial in reducing long-term risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
However the key here is timing. Blood sugar tends to peak about an hour after eating. A short walk soon after finishing your meal may help soften that spike, even if it's just around the house or while clearing the table.
Ease of digestion
It's not just blood sugar that benefits from post-meal movement. Walking also supports digestion, particularly for those prone to bloating or sluggish metabolism after meals.
According to a study published in PLOS One, walking gently stimulates the stomach and intestines, helping food move more efficiently through the digestive tract. This natural activation of the gut can ease symptoms of bloating, especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or even those who've simply eaten a bit too fast.
Since bloating often results from trapped gas and delayed gastric emptying, light physical activity encourages the body to process food and move gas through the system more easily. And while it may feel counterintuitive to get moving when you're feeling full, the results will speak for themselves.
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