What is your post-dinner routine? We’re sure most people will say they eat sweets or simply lie down on their bed after a meal.
However, you’ve probably heard from your parents that taking a 15-20 minute walk after lunch or dinner can be beneficial.
Walking, ladies, is one of the most underappreciated movements because it can help you with so many things that many people are unaware of. Even 20 minutes of walking can provide numerous health benefits, including the ability to lose weight!
We are not saying this, but science is!
A study at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, says it is the one simple thing people can do to lose weight. “Twenty minutes of self-paced walking done shortly after meal consumption can result in lower plasma glucose levels at the end of the exercise,” reads the study.
Basically, you might feel stuffed after eating or having a heavy meal and want to lie down on your bed, but walking helps your digestive system convert food into glucose, your body’s primary source of energy. Your muscles conserve this energy in order to take small steps toward a more efficient metabolism. So, instead of fantasizing about losing weight, get up and go for a walk!
To find out if walking can be really helpful in weight loss, Health Shots spoke to fitness expert Mukul Nagpaul, Founder of Pmf Training and Fit India Movement Ambassador.
Here’s how walking after eating can help with weight loss:
Nagpaul says, “Weight loss requires a calorie deficit, and one of the easiest ways to create a calorie deficit without compromising on your food is by burning calories. Thus, walking helps you burn calories, and the best part is that walking speeds up your metabolism, which means that you burn more calories from fat. This can result in weight loss.”
Furthermore, regular brisk walking combined with healthy eating is extremely effective for weight loss. Walking also aids in the reduction of visceral fat, also known as belly or abdominal fat, which is particularly hazardous to our health.
Here are other benefits of walking after each meal:
1. Better sleep
Your body is designed to move, but in today’s environment, people sit more than they walk. It’s critical that you get some movement during the day so that your body can rest easily at night, and even 20 minutes of walking will help you get that movement, which will help you sleep better.
2. More energy
When you eat food, your blood sugar rises, and if it rises too high after a meal, it’s critical to manage it and return it to normal levels. In fact, you may experience a drop in energy after 1-2 hours of eating since your blood sugar will sink. Your blood sugar will not rise too high if you walk after your meal, and you will feel more energised.
3. Better mood
Have you ever noticed that some days you are in a great mood, while other days you feel like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, irritated? The next step is to notice how some movement, such as walking, makes you feel better. Walking encourages the release of serotonin, the happy hormone, which improves your mood throughout the day.
4. Reduces stress
Walking aids in the reduction of cortisol, often known as the stress hormone, which is responsible for a number of detrimental impacts on the body, including a suppressed digestive system, poor immune function, and depression, all of which are associated with obesity.
5. Improve creativity.
According to a new study published in the Journal Scientific Reports, the more you walk, the more creative you will become. The participants who were the most active were also the most creative, especially if they walked or exercised moderately on a regular basis. The study also noted, the more active you are, the more likely you are to be a happier person in general. Win-win!
If you don’t have enough time, then you can divide your walking into 5 minute walks after meals or you can park your vehicle a bit far from your office or home so that it gives you the opportunity to walk more.
