Does a short walk after meals really help?
The after-dinner stroll your elders swear by has good science behind it.
Yes, it can. A 2022 review found that short, light walks of 2 to 5 minutes, including after meals, kept blood sugar steadier than sitting. Standing helped a little. Walking helped more.
Key points
Light walks of 2 to 5 minutes made a difference in the studies.
Standing was better than sitting, but walking helped blood sugar and insulin more.
Blood sugar tends to rise in the first hour or so after a meal, so move soon after.
A gentle stroll is enough. No need to make it a workout.
Short walks through the day help too, not just after meals.
The longer read
Many Indian families already have a habit of a short stroll after dinner. It turns out there's good science behind it.
What the research found
A 2022 review in the journal Sports Medicine looked at studies where people broke up long periods of sitting with short breaks, including after meals. Compared with sitting, standing breaks helped keep blood sugar a little steadier. Light walking for 2 to 5 minutes helped more, and also helped keep insulin levels steadier.
Why? Working muscles use glucose from your blood for energy, so moving soon after eating helps clear some of it.
How to do it
- Keep it light. This isn't a workout. An easy stroll is enough.
- Go soon after eating. Blood sugar tends to rise in the first hour or so after a meal.
- Use what you have. The terrace, your building's corridor, the office stairs or a lap of the block all work.
- Break up sitting through the day. A short walk every half hour or so helps too.
If you have diabetes or another health condition, a walk is a great habit to add, but keep following your doctor's advice and don't change any medicines on your own.
Give it a go
After lunch and dinner for the next 5 days, take a gentle 5 to 10 minute walk before you sit down. The terrace, the corridor or a lap of your building all count.
Put it into practice
It's easier to keep going when you're doing it with others. Start one today.
Fittest Start
Join the ExperienceGeneral wellness information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or are starting something new after a long break, check with your doctor first.
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