Walking after a meal, Good or Bad?

Article by Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

The Importance of Walking After Eating

The positive effects of exercise on health have been proven time and time again. In recent years, a growing trend in the health and fitness community has been to take a short walk after each meal to yield various health benefits. This practice, while simple, can significantly enhance your overall well-being.

Walking after eating can aid in digestion, help regulate blood sugar levels, and improve cardiovascular health. A brief post-meal stroll can stimulate your digestive system, promoting better nutrient absorption and reducing the likelihood of bloating or indigestion. Additionally, walking helps to control blood sugar levels by encouraging your muscles to utilize glucose more effectively, which can be particularly beneficial for those managing diabetes or prediabetes.

Benefits of Post-Meal Walking

Walking after meals offers a range of unique health benefits. Here’s a look at some of the most significant advantages:

Enhances Digestion

Walking stimulates the stomach and intestines, promoting faster movement of food through the digestive system. This can help prevent digestive issues like bloating and constipation. It has also been shown to protect against gastrointestinal conditions such as peptic ulcers, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Supports Heart Health

Regular physical activity, including walking after meals, is linked to better heart health. Walking can help lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Multiple short walks throughout the day may be more effective than a single long exercise session for improving heart health.

Aids in Weight Management

Walking after meals can contribute to a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss. By burning additional calories, it helps in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight when combined with a proper diet.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Studies show that taking three 10-minute walks each day can help lower blood pressure. This approach may be more effective than one continuous session, making it easier to integrate into daily routines.

The Impact of Post-Meal Walking on Blood Sugar Regulation

Walking after meals has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, making it a simple and effective strategy for managing blood sugar spikes, especially in older adults with pre-diabetes. This approach provides an accessible means of improving overall health and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Research Findings

A study published in Diabetes Care demonstrated that engaging in 15 minutes of easy-to-moderate exercise after each meal helps curb dangerous blood sugar spikes throughout the day. This study focused on older adults, who are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, and found that this small change in their daily routine had significant health benefits.

Detailed Insights

Short, Frequent Walks vs. Longer Walks: The study revealed that three short walks (each lasting about 15 minutes) taken after meals were just as effective in reducing blood sugar levels over a 24-hour period as a single 45-minute walk. This suggests that spreading out exercise throughout the day can be more beneficial for blood sugar management than a single prolonged session.

Mechanism of Action

Walking after meals helps in better utilization of glucose by the muscles, reducing the amount of sugar that remains in the bloodstream. This is crucial for individuals with pre-diabetes, as their bodies are less efficient at using insulin to lower blood sugar levels.

Practical Implementation

Incorporating short walks after breakfast, lunch, and dinner can be easily integrated into daily routines. This not only aids in blood sugar control but also promotes cardiovascular health, aids digestion, and enhances overall well-being.

Broader Implications

Preventive Health: Regular post-meal walks can serve as a preventive measure, potentially delaying or even preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk populations.

Accessibility: This form of exercise is low-impact, requires no special equipment, and can be done anywhere, making it an inclusive option for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Conclusion

Implementing a simple practice of walking for 15 minutes after each meal can have profound effects on blood sugar management and overall health. This strategy offers a practical, effective, and accessible way to combat the rising prevalence of diabetes, especially among older adults.

By adopting this small but powerful habit, individuals can take a significant step towards better health and improved quality of life.

Ayurveda Perspective

Ayurveda has advocated ‘Chankramana’ or ‘light walking’ after consuming food / meals.

According to Master Sushruta, ‘walking which does not cause any pain or discomfort is called Chankramana’.

It is a part and parcel of dinacharya i.e. daily regimen and by default can be considered as ‘activity to be done in the morning time every day’. Shatapata Gamana i.e. walking for about 100 steps has been mentioned in the ratricharya i.e. ‘night habits or regimen’. It is also a type of chankramana.

Chankramana is also a kind of Vyayama – exercise, which is also a part of dinacharya.

According to Ayurveda, after taking food, one should sit like a king comfortably until his fatigue (caused by ingestion of food) is relieved. Then he should walk for about 100 steps and later lie down (sleep) in left lateral position.

Meanings of Chankramana

–        Moving about or going about
–        Exercise
–        Going or walking slowly
–        Going crookedly or tortuously

Benefits of Chankramana

Chankramana increases –

–        Ayu – lifespan, longevity
–        Bala – strength, immunity, endurance
–        Medha – intelligence
–        Agni – digestive fire (capacity)
–        Indriyapradam – helps in smooth functioning of senses

In the treatment of prameha – diabetes – Master Sushruta advocates for the person who cannot afford the medicines and therapies to walk for one hundred yojana distance in a span of one year, which is approximately equal to 1280 kilometres. Later Dalhana, the commentator of Sushruta Samhita defines this as Chankramana. This shall be considered as light walking after meals, in modern terms. Doing for one long year without interruption is instilling ‘exercise habit and discipline’ in the mind of the patient. Modern medicine too has emphasized the importance of ‘walk after meal’ in diabetes.

Related Reading – ‘Chankramana – meaning and benefits’