You can mimic this pattern by taking 5- to 10-minute walks following your main meals throughout the day. One study suggests that several small bouts of exercise throughout the day may be superior to one continuous bout of exercise for lowering blood triglycerides, a risk factor for heart disease ( 12). More specifically, regular exercise may lower your blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while also reducing your risk of a stroke or heart attack ( 10, 11)
May reduce heart disease riskįor decades, physical activity has been linked to heart health. While post-meal exercise is particularly impactful for those with diabetes, others can benefit from its blood-sugar-lowering effects as well. This is particularly important for people with type 1 and 2 diabetes - conditions that impair blood sugar processing - because exercising after eating may prevent excessive spikes in blood sugar, thus reducing the amount of insulin or oral medications required ( 7, 8, 9).Ī 2016 study in people with type 2 diabetes found that light walking for 10 minutes after each meal was superior to walking for 30 minutes at any one time for blood sugar management ( 8). May help manage blood sugar levelsĪnother notable benefit of walking after eating is improved blood sugar management. In fact, it’s been shown to prevent diseases like peptic ulcers, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticular disease, constipation, and colorectal cancer ( 4, 5, 6).
In addition, low to moderate physical activity after eating may have a protective effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract ( 4, 5). May improve digestionĪ major potential benefit associated with walking after eating is improved digestion.īody movement can aid your digestion by promoting stimulation of the stomach and intestines, causing food to move through more rapidly ( 1, 2, 3). This includes walking after eating, which has some unique benefits of its own. Exercise is associated with many positive health benefits.
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