By Walking is one of the best ways anyone can stay active and burn body fat. What I like best about walking is that you can do it, even when you’re recovering from an injury, young or old – it’s for anyone and everyone.
The amount of people I see walking in the mornings, at lunch and in the evening blows my mind. I think I have been writing and preaching walking as a form of low impact cardio for years now. It’s not failed me once, and because of the growing trend, I assume that others feel the same way too.
Why walk after food?
Walking after you eat improves your digestion. If you have had a relatively large meal, walking will help you alleviate any stress on the stomach. It can also stimulate the stomach and intestines to move food through more rapidly. I find that a good walk after my breakfast helps to bring on elimination faster. If you find you want to bring on a trip to the bathroom, a good walk will surely help you do that!Not only will you get these digestion and elimination benefits, but you will also prevent diseases such as IBS, heartburn, ulcers, and colorectal cancers. A walk around the block several times a day can become your exercise choice for the simple goal of longevity.
Diminish insulin spikes
My mum is a diabetic, and one thing she uses to control her blood sugar level is to take a walk after eating. Now it’s not so apparent in her life due to cancer, but she still manages to get out and about when her energy levels are higher and benefits from this simple exercise in more ways than one. Exercising after eating can prevent more significant spikes in blood sugar, which may help you eliminate or reduce the amount of insulin or any other oral medications required. Why not use this as your diabetic drug elimination strategy?
What about weight loss?
Diet and exercise will always play a massive part in your weight loss progression; It most certainly helps to walk after a meal to create a caloric deficit that will aid towards your weight loss goals. I use this strategy because my goal is to put building muscle mass as my priority. Keeping this intention in mind then leads me to make the best choices for building and maintaining muscle mass. Walking not only helps me with fat loss, but it’s low impact and doesn’t put my body in a position where it uses muscle for fuel. That’s when you start to catabolise your muscle mass and increase body fat. Your intention for walking should cater to your own goals.
When it may not work in your favour
Walking is excellent, but it can sometimes cause a few minor negative issues. I would not be too concerned about this, but use your instinct and go with the flow at the moment. When you walk straight after eating, it can cause some nausea or even heartburn. There could be some potential for gas and bloating too. But walking can help to relieve that. Those with sensitive stomachs could have an issue with the food moving around after eating. This can make you a little bit uncomfortable, causing gas. The best option is to wait at least 10–20 minutes after a meal before going for a walk. I like to wait up until 1 hour to get out for a walk. My stomach is quite sensitive, and I experience negative gastrointestinal symptoms. I would recommend you test your body and see what would work best.
Summary of a walker
As with any exercise, you are using your instinct is very important. Research suggests that walking after food is a great idea and has several benefits. If you feel a bit under the weather or experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort, then perhaps skip it or walk a bit slower. Make walking your meditation, rather than become a marathon fast pace walker. Walking can be enjoyed in any form, depending on your energy levels and how much you have eaten. I like to spread my walks through the day to allow my body time to digest and eliminate any digestion mishaps. Make it a mission to find what works best for you. I always say, make those enjoyable things part of your lifestyle habits. I would love you to upvote it if you did. Please also join me on my various social platforms and do go ahead and download your 40 Fat Loss Tips & Portions guide. I’m also on Instagram.