'Fart walking' is trending — here's everything you need to know
I'll give you three guesses to work out what "fart walking" entails.
The latest TikTok trend recommends you go for a walk after eating to help boost digestion and relieve gas and bloating. A bit like silent walking, it's hardly revolutionary, but I guess a catchy name doesn't hurt marketing.
If you tend to save your post-meal walks for overindulgent holiday seasons (I personally love nothing more than a walk after Christmas dinner), there might be a benefit from doing it more often.
Those in favor say it's good for your digestive health and balancing blood sugar, with research — like this study published in Sports Medicine — showing light and gentle movement can be beneficial for managing sugar levels after a meal.
Though specifically on "fart walking?" There's not a huge amount of scientific evidence on that topic, funnily enough. But it is free and pretty safe and accessible. Here's everything you need to know.
As mentioned, this TikTok trend involves getting up and going for a stroll post-feed. In a TikTok video, Mairlyn Smith (a cookbook author) raves about fart walking and its benefits.
According to Smith, the method will help you age wonderfully (jury is still out on that one) while reducing the likelihood of developing Type II diabetes by helping to balance blood sugars. Again, there's no scientific evidence linking "fart walking" and a reduction in the chance of developing diabetes.
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Smith walks for 10, 15, or 20 minutes, but even just two minutes can be beneficial. We know there's no shortage of research promoting the benefits of exercise for keeping your metabolism ticking along, plus the many physical and mental benefits of moving your body regularly.
But it's probably no surprise that there's a lack of research specifically holding a magnifying glass up to fart walking. That said, walking is great, low-impact cardiovascular exercise that prevents sedentary living and keeps your muscles, bones, and heart and lungs strong.
And studies, like this meta-analysis and systemic review published in the journal Sports Medicine suggest moving post-meal can help improve blood sugar management.
Taking light movement after eating can aid peristalsis, which refers to the muscle contractions that aid gas and food along your digestive tract. This can help move digestion along, and gentle movement helps boost mood and relaxation, which is also good for digestive health.
There's evidence to suggest walking and exercising more generally can help balance blood sugars, aiding the muscles and cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream to be used or stored by the body. Given your body uses glucose as an energy source, it makes sense that fart walking can help the process along.
There's no guarantee, but fart walking may help you manage sharp spikes in blood sugar, which could also improve your metabolic health over time.
And, if nothing else, a short walk after a meal can help you feel calmer and reduce the impacts of prolonged sedentary time, helping to burn energy. Desk workers, I'm looking at you!
Fart walking is pretty simple; you just take a walk. If you own one of the best treadmills for indoor and home workouts, you could jump on there and take the speed right down to a gentle stroll. If you want to cash in on the mental health benefits of walking in nature, then getting outdoors could be even better.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, we know that time in nature helps take the body out of the sympathetic nervous system into a state of calm, rest and relaxation, known as your parasympathetic nervous system.
Given that your vagus nerve — also called the gut-brain axis — acts as a communicator between brain and gut, looking after your nervous system can also positively affect your gut health and metabolism.
Start with 20 to 30 minutes at a strolling pace somewhere familiar and try to stay relaxed. Aim to walk within 60 minutes of finishing your meal, never moving above light to moderate work. Even if you can only manage a quick two minutes, it's still beneficial to do something.
If you begin to pass gas, let it happen! But maybe take your workout headphones out in a public place before you risk going for it. Take it slow, you might begin to feel discomfort as you pass gas or even experience some bloating while you walk. Just listen to your body and do what feels right for you without judgment.
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