From the time I was young my parents always told me that I have to wait for the food to digest before I go back out to ride my bike, go swimming, or go to bed. The idea was if you do not give food time for digestion, you will incur some form of an upset stomach or cramps that could have easily been prevented.

This idea is still prevalent today and has been passed down to the next generation. Relative to this belief, there is a new idea that walking right after a meal will prevent the spike of blood sugar while also making weight loss more achievable. That brings up the question; to move or not to move after a meal?

The study I came across was published in the National Institute of Health. The study was performed by two females in their late sixties, so this was no study using spring chicks. For this study, the two women would have three meals a day and after each meal (without a digestion period) they would walk for duration of 30 minutes.

After the walk, they would continue their day without additional physical activity. At the end of the 4 year experiment, period data was collected and then compared. The data showed that there was measureable weight loss over the duration of the experiment.

Even better, the data showed a significant decrease in glucose measurements after the meal. Without exercise after the meals, it was estimated that glucose levels would be 275% higher!

That’s extremely important because regulating glucose levels keeps away those preventable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and vascular disease.

This walking thing is definitely worth a try. I personally have tried exercise right after a meal and it turned out awesome! I say give it a try and see what happens. I believe time sitting is time wasted. Keep moving!

-Phil