You may have heard of the “hot girl walk,” but what about the “fart walk”?
Social media user @mairlynsmith, a Canadian cookbook author and self-proclaimed “fibre queen,” has attracted attention with the catchy-named after-dinner walk, which she claims can help you “age gracefully” and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
“My husband and I go on a fart walk almost every night after dinner,” Smith said in an Instagram video that has received nearly half a million likes. “Why? Because walking helps keep your blood sugar more consistent and keeps it from bouncing all over the place. And as you get older, especially after 40, you're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.”
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than one in three U.S. adults had prediabetes in 2021. “Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes,” the institute's website states. “People with prediabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.”
Erin Palinski Wade, R.D., a certified diabetes educator, told CBS News that this type of after-dinner activity is a “really clever idea” that she also recommends to her clients, although not by the same name.
“I would recommend getting up and moving after a meal – nothing vigorous, just enough to keep you going while you're having a conversation,” she says. “Moving after a meal is not only good for your digestion, it has a lot of health benefits, so I think this is a positive trend.”
Why does it work?
“When you move your body, it activates every part of your body, including your gut, so it increases gut mobility,” Palinski-Wade says.
Increasing intestinal mobility helps you expel gas that builds up after eating, but you don't need to actually expel gas to see the benefits — it's the movement of your bowels that counts.
“The benefits of movement are what really support your gut and your whole body,” Palinski-Wade says. “The benefit isn't the gas, it's the movement that really benefits you.”
But as an added bonus, expelling gas may also help relieve bloating, she says.
Walking after a meal affects blood sugar levels
Walking after a meal also helps balance blood sugar levels, “which can help boost your energy and mood after a meal,” Palinski-Wade said.
“When you're moving, you use up more energy, so naturally, more glucose is sent from your bloodstream to your cells for energy, lowering your glucose levels,” she says.
Taking regular walks after meals can also help balance your blood sugar levels throughout the day, she adds.
Tips to get started
So what exactly should your post-meal walk look like? “The more consistent you can make it, the better,” Palinski-Wade said, adding that it also depends on the time of day you're least active.
“For most people, after dinner is the most effective because that's when we're most sedentary,” she says. “So if you eat a big dinner and then you're sitting around, you're more likely to have indigestion, acid reflux, and high blood sugar, whereas breakfast and lunch are when you're up and moving around a lot.”
Smith recommends five to 30 minute walks, and while you can start with just two minutes, she says she likes to go for 10, 15, or even 20 minute walks.
Palinski Wade said that while walking for five minutes after a meal is good, especially when it comes to blood sugar levels, she knows that's not always realistic.
“So I would choose the meal that's the biggest and leaves me the most sedentary after eating,” she said.
Also, do it slowly.
“As long as you can converse without getting out of breath or being able to say more than a few words, that's a good gauge of how intense your walking is,” Palinski-Wade says.
Smith agreed there was no rush: “It's a moderate walk,” she said in the video.
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Sarah Moniuszko
