Latest news with #fartwalking
CNA
10-07-2025
- Health
- CNA
'Fart walking' after a meal is the latest health trend – but does it actually work?
Of all the wellness trends that have emerged from TikTok, "fart walking" is perhaps worth tooting about. If you're wondering just what in the world has your social media algorithm served up, yes, it is now cool to unabashedly break wind while taking a post-meal stroll. At least according to people like this TikToker: Farting while walking is the most natural thing to do, according to Dr Edward Cheong, a senior upper gastrointestinal surgeon with PanAsia Surgery. 'Fart walking is a playful, non-scientific term used to describe the act of passing gas while walking. It's just a funny way to talk about something that happens to everyone when you're moving around, especially after eating or when your digestive system is active.' But what if you're too uptight to even let go of the tiniest squeak of gas in public? Would that cancel out the benefits of fart walking? Before you pooh-pooh the activity, here's a look at the advantages of a post-dinner stroll (with or without breaking wind). WHAT DOES WALKING DO FOR DIGESTION? Walking after dinner does more than help you pass gas and relieve that bloated feeling. 'Walking can help prevent acid reflux or heartburn by keeping you upright and aiding in gastric emptying,' said Dr Cheong. Jaclyn Reutens, a dietitian with Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants, agreed. 'Going to bed soon after a full meal increases the risk of heartburn. By stimulating digestion through a walk, there's lesser food in your stomach and this can reduce the risk of heartburn.' Also, fart walking improves digestion by stimulating peristalsis, which is the contraction of the digestive tract to move food along the gastrointestinal system, said Reutens. In diabetics, 'walking after a meal helps to reduce insulin resistance and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels by using up the glucose in your meal, instead of allowing the glucose to stay in your bloodstream', said Reutens. ARE THE BENEFITS ONLY THERE AFTER A POST-MEAL WALK? 'Walking at any time of the day has benefits,' said Reutens. 'The added benefit of walking after a meal helps your muscles use up the glucose in the meal that was just consumed more efficiently. This leaves less glucose floating around in the bloodstream and keeps blood sugar levels in check.' There are benefits for non-diabetics, too, said Dr Cheong. 'Walking after meals specifically targets your body's immediate metabolic response to food intake, enhancing nutrient absorption and utilisation,' he said. Moreover, 'regular walks contribute to cardiovascular health, improving circulation and overall heart function'. 'A post-meal walk can become a healthy routine that integrates seamlessly into daily life, making it easier to maintain consistency compared to random walks during the day,' added Dr Cheong. WHO BENEFITS THE MOST FROM FART WALKING? 'Everyone, even the elderly can do it,' said Reutens. If you have bloating problems from a digestive condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, you'll appreciate the gas-relieving benefit even more, said Dr Cheong. The same goes for gassy individuals who consume a lot of fibre, carbonated drinks or gas-inducing beans and cruciferous vegetables, or just have air-introducing habits such as eating quickly or drinking through straws, said Dr Cheong. He added that middle-agers also make the list due to their diminished digestive efficiency and muscle tone changes that sometimes lead to more gas. HOW SOON AFTER EATING CAN YOU WALK? AND HOW LONG FOR? Start walking about 10 to 15 minutes after eating to maximise the benefits, recommended Dr Cheong. 'This timing helps prevent the onset of bloating and heartburn, and it also aids in regulating blood sugar levels effectively.' As for the duration, a moderate intensity walk of about 20 to 30 minutes is typically recommended. 'Even a short 10-minute walk can be beneficial but if you have the time, aim for around 20 to 30 minutes for even greater advantages for digestion and overall well-being,' he said. ARE THE BENEFITS GONE IF YOU CAN'T BRING YOURSELF TO FART IN PUBLIC? Not at all, said Dr Cheong. 'Even if you're not actively passing gas while walking, you're still aiding digestion, promoting blood sugar regulation and enhancing overall metabolic function. The movement itself helps with these processes, regardless of whether you're farting or not.' WHAT IF YOU GET A SHARP PAIN IN YOUR DIAPHRAGM, BELOW YOUR RIBCAGE? That is a stitch and is also known as exercise-related transient abdominal pain, said Reutens. 'It is unclear what truly causes a stitch but it is not serious and can be resolved by slowing down your pace and hydrating with electrolytes.' Dr Cheong recommended inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth to help relax the diaphragm. 'If the stitch is on your right side, try exhaling as your left foot hits the ground and vice versa. You can also gently massage the area where you feel the stitch.' Maintaining good posture while walking may also help to reduce straining the diaphragm and the surrounding muscles, he said. 'If you frequently get stitches, consider a lighter meal before walking and gradually increase the intensity of your post-meal activity.' WHAT ABOUT ON DAYS WHEN YOU CAN'T GO FOR A WALK? 'You can walk around in your home,' suggested Reutens. 'Some movement is better than no movement. There is no definite number of steps to clock but it's good to move after a meal, especially if it was a heavy one.' Dr Cheong suggested doing simple stretches such as reaching your arms overhead and twisting your torso gently. Or do a few yoga poses like Cat-cow or Child's Pose. Light marching or stepping on the spot can also get your body moving and encourage digestion. Alternatively, try gently massaging your abdomen in a circular motion to help move gas along the digestive tract and relieve bloating, he said. Even something as simple as sitting up straight or standing for a while after eating can help prevent heartburn and encourage the natural movement of food, he added. IS THERE ANYTHING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN FART WALKING? Pace yourself, said Dr Cheong. 'Remember, you're not aiming for a high-intensity workout, just a gentle walk to aid digestion.' To do that, start at a pace that is comfortable, said Reutens. 'Even a 10-minute walk has some benefits. Then, work your way up to 30 minutes,' she recommended. 'Drink some water before you start but avoid over-drinking before walking to prevent discomfort,' said Dr Cheong. 'The key is to enjoy the walk, help your body digest and reap the benefits without pushing yourself too hard.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fart walking — do this 10-minute indoor walking workout immediately after eating to lower your blood sugar, aid weight loss
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you've been on TikTok recently, you've probably heard about fart walking — the idea of going for a walk after eating to help boost digestion and relieve bloating. Yet according to research published in the International Journal of General Medicine, there's another huge benefit of walking directly after a meal: lowering your blood sugar. If weight loss is your goal, lowering your sugar levels is a good place to start. The best part about this workout is you don't have to leave your house — perfect if you've got kids upstairs in bed, or you don't want to walk alone in the evenings. All you'll need is 10 minutes, and perhaps a yoga mat to walk on. If you want to check out your calorie burn, strapping one of the best fitness trackers to your wrist might help, but as with all indoor walking workouts, you'll want to make sure you're swinging your arms throughout for a more accurate reading. The workout, devised by fitness coach Caroline Jordan, was shared on her YouTube channel. "You can use this video immediately after eating to lower your blood sugar," Caroline says, and users in the comment section of the video have claimed the workout helped them to lose weight. Far from just walking on the spot for 10 minutes, the workout involves various marches, side steps, hamstring stretches, and overhead reaches. It's designed to boost your digestion. The best part is, you won't need any special equipment; you can just follow along with Caroline in real time. According to the International Journal of General Medicine study, there are several benefits to walking straight after a meal. The researchers compared the benefits of a 30-minute walk straight after a meal to a 30-minute walk one hour after eating. Participants completed a month of walks, and the team found that the group who walked for 30-60 minutes right after their meals lost more weight. But why? Walking after a meal reduces your blood sugar levels and the level of sugar in your interstitial fluid (the layer of fluid surrounding your body's cells). While digestion uses this glucose for energy, excess glucose in your bloodstream can be stored as fat. If you're looking to lose or manage your weight, focusing on your blood glucose levels is a good place to start. Of course, if you'd prefer to head outdoors, especially in the summer months, you have the added mental health boost of an evening walk, which can lower your stress levels and help you sleep better. That fart walk might not be so silly after all! Why not carve out 10 minutes and give this workout a try? I swapped running for 'Jeffing' for a week — and now I'm hooked I tried the 5-4-5 walking technique for a week — and it boosted my fitness and mood How to lose weight and get in shape by walking
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is fart walking and is it good for you?
Gut health and GutTok is all the rage, and if you're already maxed out on probiotics and stocked up on kombucha, it might be time to start fart walking. Tooting, passing gas, or letting one rip on your walk after meals could improve digestion and intestinal function. Before you decide to break wind on your stroll, it's worth asking what is fart walking, how to fart walk, and what the benefits really are. Fart walking is not necessarily deliberately passing wind in public spaces, thankfully. Rather, fart walking is going on a walk after your meal to promote intestinal function and to keep things moving in your digestive system. Whether you decide to pass wind or not is up to you. But it is likely that going on a walk after your meal will encourage some flatulence. It was a term first coined by Mairlyn Smith, a 70-year old cookbook author, who encourages high fibre diets and walking after dinner to pass gas as holy-grail gut health practices. Smith is not the first expert to prescribe fart walking. In Italian and Chinese cultures, it is a custom to go on a walk after meals. The process of walking after a meal can promote movement in the gut and keep everything moving smoothly through the digestive tract. 'The bowel does move well on its own, but it moves better when you move,' said Dr Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at the University of Washington Medical Center. In an Instagram reel, Dr Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine physician at New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explained that walking after meals promotes 'intestinal mobility' to excrete gas and prevent constipation. Diabetes is a condition caused when the body's blood sugar levels are too high; either because the body is not producing enough insulin, or because the body is not using insulin correctly. The condition can have serious implications such as nerve damage, kidney failure, and heart disease if not managed properly. It seems a stretch to therefore suggest that a couple of toots after meals could be the cure. However, Dr Damman says that going on a walk or exercising after a meal is extremely beneficial to regulating these blood sugar spikes. He says, 'Some studies have suggested even just five minutes of getting your heart rate up – going for a stroll around the neighbourhood, doing some jumping jacks – is sufficient to blunt the post-meal spike in blood sugar levels.' Dr Tiutan adds that walking in general does the body good by preventing blood sugar spikes, regulating insulin, and lowering the risk of cancer. But, going on a walk after a meal is particularly beneficial, as blood sugar levels rise immediately after eating food. If you are a breakfast dodger, sugar levels are more likely to spike after lunch and dinner. Some have even suggested that fart walking can reduce your risk of cancer. Walking in general, at a brisk pace, can provide tremendous benefits, said Dr Alpa Patel of the American Cancer Society. You don't need to be taught to release gas, surely. However, to get the maximum benefit from walking after meals, fart-walking enthusiasts should aim to fart within an hour of eating. 'If you wait too long, you'll miss the spike because it starts going up within minutes after you eat when the stomach starts to empty into the small intestine where all of the nutrients, including glucose, get absorbed into the blood,' said Damman. There's no real guideline on how long a fart walk should be, but a 15-minute walk after a meal ought to get things moving. You should also pay attention to what you eat in general. Preventing blood spikes starts with what is on your plate. Eating foods rich in fiber and low in UPF will prevent blood spikes. Foods high in fiber and phytonutrients are also more likely to produce a lot of gas…think beans, brussels sprouts, cruciferous veg. This makes fart walks even more crucial. It is not unheard of to experience discomfort when walking or exercising after a big meal. A calm, moderate pace will suffice when it comes to fart walking. Smaller meals could also help to ensure that any feelings of nausea are put to bed. Still too much? Fart yoga is another option, as is fart squatting, fart marching, or fart lunging. Regardless, calm and moderate exercise will help to get the gastrointestinal tract in gear. On the topic of farts, what actually are they and where does flatulence come from? Foods high in fibre containing indigestible carbohydrates, such as cruciferous vegetables which contain inulin, stay in the gut. Their bacteria induces fermentation, which produces gas as a by-product. And, there you have a fart. Fizzy drinks and gulping down air when you eat too quickly are also contributors to gas in the intestinal tract. That said, excessive gas is usually a cause for concern and those suffering should seek out medical advice. It's your prerogative whether you fart on Clapham Common or toot in Regents' Park. But the health benefits might be worth any possible embarrassment.
