After indulging in turkey and mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving, experts recommend taking a short stroll to help with digestion.
For many, a post-meal walk is nothing new. Last year, The Dallas Express reported that a 10- to 15-minute walk after eating can aid digestion. For some people, a brisk walk or other light forms of activity can help alleviate uncomfortable bloat after indulging in too much stuffing.
Loretta DiPietro, a professor of exercise and nutrition science at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, said the concept has existed for centuries.
“Italians have been doing it and Europeans have been doing it forever. My grandparents did it,” she said, per NPR.
The healthy habit has developed a less-than-appetizing name on social media. You can find many people promoting so-called “fart walks” on Tik Tok, thanks to the activity’s ability to help relieve gas.
Whatever you call it, experts agree that some light post-meal movement is good for the body.
“Sustained walking at any time of day is beneficial. You get more bang for the buck if you walk after meals,” says DiPietro.
Some people even speculate that Europeans stay relatively trim because of their walking habits.
Americans often note a drop in weight after returning from a European vacation. While some theorize it’s a result of healthier food ingredients on the continent, others say it is likely due to the higher number of steps people take when vacationing in pedestrian-friendly European cities.
It is not just digestion that gets a boost, either. A short walk following a meal can help regulate blood sugar.
“One of the reasons walking is beneficial is when we move our muscles — and that’s both our heart and the muscles in our legs and our arms — they become sponges for the blood glucose that our gut is absorbing into the bloodstream. And so it basically just pulls all that glucose out of the blood and into the muscles, where it’s being used immediately for propelling us forward,” says Dr. Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist and professor at the University of Washington.