Walking After lunch and dinner: The Secret to Better Digestion and More

Walking after lunch and dinner is the best possible exercise.

Research has shown that walking is a great low-impact whole-body exercise. It benefits your heart, your circulatory system, your blood glucose levels, and your blood pressure and reduces anxiety and depression.

Many people think only walking 10000 steps a day is beneficial for health, but in reality, walking in itself is a great sport. But still, many people have asked me ‘why walking isn’t helping me lose weight’. Well, I have addressed this in detail in another blog.

Whether you hit the gym regularly or are too busy to do it, walking after lunch and dinner can bring you some amazing benefits. It improves your digestion, and circulation and increases the time gap between your meal and bedtime which is very essential. Most people have this habit of hitting the bed or sitting on the chair, right after their meal. This not only makes you sluggish but can also result in bloating and indigestion.

Benefits of Walking after lunch and dinner

1. It helps improve digestion

Walking after your meals assists your body in producing gastric enzymes that support digestion and aid in the passage of food. Studies revealed that moderate daily exercise can improve gas and bloating, relieve constipation and ease stomach-related problems.

Furthermore, studies also found that walking after eating can have a protective effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It can help prevent some of the most common modern diseases like peptic ulcers, heartburn, IBS, colorectal cancer, and constipation. 

2. It regulates blood sugar levels

Going for a walk after a meal is often recommended in diabetes management. After every meal, your blood sugar levels may experience a spike. This is especially true if your meal is high in carbohydrates. This is because your body turns carbs into sugar which enters the bloodstream and causes the spike.

Research has shown that going for a walk after a meal can help in keeping blood sugar levels in check. A 2016 study showed that people with type 2 diabetes who went for a 10 minutes-walk after a meal reported better blood sugar levels.

3. It can boost your metabolism

If you are among those who experience extreme sleepiness after a hefty meal, then going for a brisk walk can refuel your energy levels. This also helps in burning those extra calories and managing your weight level.

In addition to that, walking after a meal can reduce midnight cravings. It further promotes restful sleep which aids in boosting your metabolism.

4. Walking after a meal can improve your sleep

Research and studies show that walking after dinner can help relieve insomnia. It relaxes your body and makes you fall asleep faster. A study found that regular walking post-meal can significantly decrease the amount of time taken to fall asleep.

While moderate exercise can help in promoting deep restful sleep, vigorous exercise can interfere with your sleep.

5. Walking after a meal is good for your mental health

Walking is an excellent stress buster. Research shows that walking releases endorphins in your body. This happy hormone act as a natural painkiller. It helps in uplifting your mood and beating mental health issues.

Walking after your meals can also decrease discomfort, boost mood, reduce stress, and induce relaxation.

6. It can reduce your heart risk

Several researchers have linked walking to better heart health. Regular walking lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol. This can significantly reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. A study proved that walking for 30 minutes every day can reduce the risk of heart disease by 20%.

In another study, researchers found that small bouts of exercise throughout the day are superior to continuous and strenuous exercises. Just 5 to 10 minutes of walks after your meals can help improve your heart health. 

7. Can help regulate blood pressure

Walking past your meals is an excellent medicine for regulating your blood pressure. Several studies found that 10 minutes of walks every day post each meal can reduce your blood pressure levels. 

Another study showed that people leading a sedentary lifestyle can benefit from walking for just 10 minutes. It can reduce systolic blood pressure by 13%. It also helps in managing your LDL cholesterol. 

Walking after lunch and dinner – The right way to do it!

Walking after your meals is good only when it’s done in the right way. It is always recommended to walk at a light and medium pace after your meals. Fast walking or jogging right after eating can cause stomach pain or bloat. For high-intensity workouts, the gap between meals and workouts should be 2 hours.

Another important thing to note is to not overdo it. Ideally, experts recommend 10 to 15 minutes of walking post meals. But overdoing it can result in digestive problems.

Your takeaway!

Walking after lunch and dinner is proven beneficial for your body. It regulates your blood sugar, manages blood pressure, and promotes better sleep. But more than that it helps improve your digestion which is a very common complaint among Indians. In addition to that, walking post meals can reduce the risk of heart disease which is the number one global killer. 

Thus, just 10 minutes of walking after your meals can be the best shield for your health!