Exactly how long you should wait after a meal before going for a walk, according to a naturopath

Between eating on the go and rushing back to the office, we’ve lost the habit of taking a digestive walk after a meal. Yet this simple act remains one of the most effective ways to aid digestion. “Walking affects two mechanisms at the same time,” naturopath Julie Coignet explains right off the bat. First, gastric motility: “The gentle movement of the body mechanically stimulates the progression of food through the stomach and intestines, which accelerates gastric emptying and limits fermentation time”—and thus, reduces gas and bloating. Second, blood sugar levels: “Walking right after eating engages the muscles, which absorb some of the blood glucose directly, without waiting for insulin.” It’s a double benefit for digestion and for afternoon energy. “It’s no coincidence that our grandparents used to take a short digestive walk after a meal without even thinking about it,” the naturopath points out. “It was a common-sense habit long before it became a scientific recommendation. We’ve simply lost that habit along the way.”

What’s the ideal length of a post-meal walk?

You don’t need to spend an hour on it. “Ten to fifteen minutes are more than enough to reap the main benefits, both for digestive motility and blood sugar levels,” explains Julie Coignet. Those who have the opportunity can extend it to twenty or thirty minutes, without significantly altering the desired effect. On the other hand, it’s best to avoid the opposite extreme: “A long, sustained workout right after a heavy meal will divert blood to the muscles just when the stomach needs it most for digestion.” And should you wait a while before getting up from the table? No. The idea that you should wait an hour before moving is a common misconception. It’s worth qualifying, though. “This warning mainly applies to intense exercise, not a leisurely walk,” explains the naturopath. You can get up and walk gently within the first quarter-hour after finishing a meal. “That’s actually when the effect on blood sugar levels is most pronounced.” But be careful: for a successful post-meal walk, your pace matters. “A slow, digestive walk is preferable to a fast or overly intense walk right after eating,” Julie Coignet emphasises once again. Gentle walking promotes the shift to the parasympathetic nervous system (the one responsible for digestion) without putting the body under stress. A more brisk walk is still beneficial for blood sugar levels, “but if it feels like a workout and you’re out of breath, it’s no longer a digestive walk—it’s exercise—and you’re no longer getting the intended benefit.” This time, there’s a risk of complicating digestion rather than facilitating it.

Julie Coignet has made digestive health her area of research ever since a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, diagnosed when she was a new mother, prompted her to explore every possible avenue: gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian, paleo, low FODMAP — until she realised that diet alone wasn’t enough. In her book Mangez digeste!, she draws on the latest discoveries regarding the microbiome, the vagus nerve and the gut-brain axis to show that lifestyle plays just as big a role as what’s on our plates in our digestive balance. She also devotes several episodes of her podcast KINOA, in which she explains simple (yet all too often overlooked) mechanisms, like taking a walk after a meal!

This article first appeared on Vogue.fr

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