Is walking after eating good for you? The experts of 'Doctor, but is it true that…?', the anti-hoax website of the Federation of Medical Associations (Fnomceo), answer this question by first discouraging the proponents of the 'siesta': “Giving in to the temptation of a postprandial nap is not a good habit“, they state. Encouraging rather to help the work than the body must take a walk after meals, especially after dinner. However, not with a run, which instead of facilitating the task of our gastro-intestinal system, could hinder it.
“Walking after a meal, according to traditional wisdom, helps clear the mind and aids digestion“, the doctors recall. “But probably – they add – walking also provides other benefits: a small study, because it was conducted on a few people, demonstrated that walking after meals makes intestinal transit faster. The same study confirmed that drink a hard drink“, a coffee killer like “brandy, grappa, amaro, or a coffee, It has no positive effect on digestion“, the anti-fake news doctors point out. “More generally – they highlight – we know that physical activity can improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, helping the elimination of intestinal gas and reducing the symptoms in people who suffer from bloating intestinal. Even in adults who suffer from chronic constipation (constipation), walking 30 minutes a day is a recommended habit.”
The saying isn't wrong even when it states that 'he who goes slowly goes far and sound'. Why yesand after eating “instead of walking we ran – doctors warn – we would risk delaying digestion. In fact, vigorous forms of training can deprive the gastrointestinal tract of the necessary blood flow, slowing down digestive activity. This is because – they explain – the stomach muscles are more active during digestion, causing a greater demand for oxygen and blood flow to the stomach and other gastrointestinal tissues. When we train, blood is drawn from the muscles, heart, lungs and brain, reducing it to less active tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, although involved in digestion. The reduction in blood flow produces a nervous stimulus that contributes to the onset of nausea. For this reason, going to train or do intense sport after meals is not recommended. Most research on post-meal physical activity suggests that moderate-intensity exercise is best. So we must prefer a brisk walk or a bike ride.”
But how far after a meal is it necessary to exercise? “The best results are achieved by walking within an hour or an hour and a half after a meal,” experts advise. “Although a light walk at any time is good for your health, a short walk within 60 to 90 minutes of eating a meal can be particularly helpful in reducing blood sugar spikes, as that's when blood sugar levels they tend to increase. Be careful, however – they insist – that physical activity be of moderate intensity”.
And to those who put their hands forward, using the alibi of a work break that is too short to go for a walk after lunch, “according to the authors of the study cited above – the doctors reply – Even very short walks can be useful, like those we can do in the workplace. They explained it to the 'New York Times': a mini-walk of 2 or 3 minutes is also feasible during the working day, perhaps to go for a coffee or along the corridor. For those who work from home”, the proposal is to “take a short walk around the block after lunch. But even simply standing for a few minutes can provide a benefit.” For digestion, but not only: “Low to moderate physical activity after meals also has a protective effect on heart health, reducing the risk of stroke or heart attack.”
Again, from the research examined by 'Doctor, but is it true that…?' it emerges that “uA 15-minute walk after meals can reduce blood sugar levels, thus helping to prevent complications such as type 2 diabetes”. In particular, all the studies included in a systematic review demonstrated that “a few minutes of light intensity walking after a meal was sufficient to significantly improve blood sugar levels, compared for example to sitting at a desk or sitting on the sofa. This is because even light walking requires active muscle engagement and uses nutrients from food.”
So too Is it advisable to walk after eating in people who suffer from diabetes? “Yes – the doctors assure – and the sooner you start walking after meals the better. Glucose tends to reach its peak 72 minutes after food intake, so it is better for movement to be as early as possible after the meal. Even just a brisk 10 minute walk will be worth it.”
And “short walks after meals – the experts point out – are more effective in reducing blood sugar levels after dinner, compared to a single 45-minute walk taken mid-morning or late afternoon”. This is “because many people remain seated in the evening”. And “it can be a particularly negative habit because, for better or worse, after lunch we are all or almost all used to moving around a little”.
“Most of the gain in terms of health – reports the first author of one of the studies cited by anti-hoax doctors – comes from the 22% reduction in blood sugar obtained by walking after what is the richest carbohydrate meal of the day and which it is generally followed by the most sedentary period of the day of all.”
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