Walking after a meal enhances digestion by promoting stomach and intestinal motility. This helps the digestive system break down food efficiently, providing energy to organs along the digestive tract. Walking stimulates the stomach and intestines, moving food faster, supporting digestion and preventing discomfort.

According to Very Well Health, a gentle 30-minute walk after dinner stimulates the digestive system, reducing symptoms like bloating, abdominal distension, and burping. This movement causes the smooth muscles of the digestive tract to contract, expelling gas and improving blood circulation to the digestive system.

A woman walks around Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo: Giang Huy

The body's rhythmic movement during walking creates a gentle abdominal force, accelerating food digestion and stabilizing stomach and intestinal peristalsis. This leads to regular bowel movements and prevents constipation. Individuals who regularly walk and exercise have a lower risk of constipation compared to sedentary people.

Walking after eating can promote a feeling of fullness by maintaining stable blood sugar. A rapid rise in blood sugar causes the body to release more insulin to regulate it. When blood sugar and insulin normalize, hunger often returns. Walking also promotes calorie burning, benefiting weight maintenance. Excess fat, especially visceral fat, causes chronic inflammation, including in the intestinal lining. Reducing fat contributes to decreasing inflammation and balancing gut microbiota.

Beyond gut health, according to Everyday Health, walking can also aid mental relaxation, support cognitive health, and improve sleep. This activity helps reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, including: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and dyslipidemia.

About 30 minutes after a meal, a 10-minute walk indoors can aid digestion and maintain regular bowel movements. If possible, walking outdoors offers mental relaxation, stress reduction, and helps control post-meal blood sugar.

Anh Chi (Compiled)