Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of Walking After EatingDownside: Upset StomachHow Long Should You Wait?Is Walking After Eating a Good Idea?DurationHigh-Intensity Walking Speed
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits of Walking After Eating
Downside: Upset Stomach
How Long Should You Wait?
Is Walking After Eating a Good Idea?
Duration
High-Intensity Walking Speed
It’s no secret that low-impact exercises like walking have health benefits, and the timing of your walk may help you boost these benefits even further.
Research suggests that walking after eating can have a positive impact on your health, particularly for managing blood sugar levels. However, there are some potential downsides, like experiencing an upset stomach after a larger meal.
Christopher Hopefitch / Getty Images
Potential Benefits of Walking After Eating
1. Reduces Gas and Bloating
Because physical movement helps stimulate thedigestive system, walking after eating may help improve gastrointestinal symptoms like gas andbloatingin some people.
Other research performed on people withbloating symptomsshowed that one month of walking for 10 to 15 minutes after every meal resulted in fewer gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, like bloating,burping,andgas. These post-meal strolls were reported to be more effective than digestion medications.
Walking After Eating: A Proven Strategy for Better Gut Health
2. Regulates Blood Sugar
A short walk after eating can help manage yourblood sugar (glucose) levels, especially for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In one study involving adults withtype 2 diabetes, taking a 10-minute stroll after each daily meal was more effective for regulating blood sugar levels than one daily 30-minute walk.
Experts theorize that light exercise (in this case, walking) after a meal is helpful for preventingblood sugar spikes, and it’s even more effective when done almost immediately after eating.
3. Improves Sleep
Anafter-meal walkmay help you get morehigher-quality sleep. People who averaged more than7,000 steps per dayreported better-quality sleep than people who didn’t walk as much.Other research showed that clocking10,000 steps dailyhelped people fall asleep faster.
Moreover, taking a stroll closer to bedtime might help improvesleep efficiency(the time spent sleeping in bed).
4. Lowers Blood Pressure
Walking after eating may positively impactblood pressurein some situations. A guided walking plan developed for primarily sedentary people withhypertensionwas successful inregulating blood pressure levels.Another study showed that three 10-minute daily walks effectively reduced diastolic blood pressure in people with prehypertension (elevated blood pressure).
5. Supports Mental Health
Short walks have been shown to helpboost certain aspects of mental healthin the following ways:
Several factors go into the risk of developing depression and othermental health conditions. Still, physical activity like walking can be helpful for an overall mood boost.Consider breaking it down to a 20- or 30-minute walk post-meal five days per week.
6. Improves Digestion
Some research suggests that walking after a meal can help speed up digestion.Other studies show that walking after eating stimulates the stomach and intestines, encouraging food to go through thedigestive systemquickly.
Walking after dinner may help digestion in people who aremostly sedentaryduring the day and in people with conditions like IBS.
7. Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Data shows that exercise may help reduce heart disease risk. Incorporating regular exercise into your routine can lower blood pressure,low-density lipoprotein (or “bad”) cholesterol, andstroke and heart attack risk.For example, you could complete a brisk 10-minute post-meal walk three times daily, five days a week.
8. Promotes Weight Loss
Though high-intensity exercises are typically associated with weight loss due to their ability toburn more calories, walking still has weight management benefits. Research has found that people who took a 25-minute walk twice dailylost more weight(and inches from their abdominal area) than those who walked for 50 minutes once daily.
Trywalking for short periodsafter lunch and dinner. You may reap similar results.
The Potential Downside to Walking After a Meal
Despite the numerous health benefits of walking shortly after a meal, there may also be downsides.
Some people may experience anupset stomachif they exercise too soon after eating. This is common and may also come with symptoms such as:
How Long Should You Wait to Walk After a Large, Heavy Meal?
Though there’s no hard and fast rule for the exact length of time you should wait to walk after eating a large or heavy meal, remember that your food typically takes two to four hours to digest fully.
For many people, starting a brisk walk roughly 30 minutes to an hour after a large, heavy meal should be sufficient to avoid unwanted side effects. This time frame will be shorter for snacks or smaller, lighter meals.
In short, yes. Data shows that the ideal time to walk may be right after eating because your body is still working to digest your food. In one study, a post-meal walking routine was most effective for weight loss when started shortly after eating rather than waiting for an hour.
How Long Should You Walk?
You don’t have to walk miles to reap some of the benefits. Research suggests a two- to five-minute walk after a meal can help lower blood sugar levels.Another study found that a 15-minute post-meal walk can support blood sugar level maintenance in older adults.Walking even 10 minutes after a large meal is helpful, too.
Does a High-Intensity Walk Speed up the Benefits?
Walking rapidlyat a rate between regular walking and jogging may further boost the benefits of walking. Research suggests thatincorporating a brisk pacemay offer benefits that are comparable to running, including:
Start walking at a pace of 3 miles per hour (mph), and work your way up to 5.5 mph, if desired.
Summary
Walking after eating promotes multiple potential health benefits, including better sleep quality, more heart health protection, regulated blood pressure, stabilized blood sugar levels, improved digestion, and more.
Research suggests that even a 10- or 15-minute walk after meals can be enough to get positive results. Experts recommend starting with a lower-intensity or slower-paced stroll, then working your way up to a brisk walk. Always check with a healthcare provider before significantly changing your exercise routine, especially if you have an underlying health condition.
30 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hamaguchi T, Tayama J, Suzuki M, et al.The effects of locomotor activity on gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome among younger people: an observational study.PLoS One.2020 May 29;15(5):e0234089. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234089
Hosseini-Asl MK, Taherifard E, Mousavi MR.The effect of a short-term physical activity after meals on gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with functional abdominal bloating: a randomized clinical trial.Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2021 Winter;14(1):59-66
Reynolds AN, Mann JI, Williams S, Venn BJ.Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study.Diabetologia. 2016 Dec;59(12):2572-2578. doi:10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2
Reynolds AN, Venn BJ.The timing of activity after eating affects the glycaemic response of healthy adults: a randomised controlled trial.Nutrients. 2018 Nov 13;10(11):1743. doi:10.3390/nu10111743
Sullivan Bisson AN, Robinson SA, Lachman ME.Walk to a better night of sleep: testing the relationship between physical activity and sleep.Sleep Health.2019 Oct;5(5):487-494. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2019.06.003
Mandini S, Conconi F, Mori E, et al.Guided walking reduces blood pressure in hypertensive sedentary subjects including those with resistant hypertension.J Hum Hypertens. 2021 Mar;35(3):226-231. doi:10.1038/s41371-020-0324-6
Saxena Y, Gupta R, Moinuddin A, Narwal R.Blood pressure reduction following accumulated physical activity in prehypertensive.J Family Med Prim Care. 2016 Apr-Jun;5(2):349-356. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.192368
Pearce M, Garcia L, Abbas A, et al.Association between physical activity and risk of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Psychiatry.2022 Jun 1;79(6):550-559. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0609
American Psychological Association.Want to boost your mental health? Take a walk.
Chekroud SR, Gueorguieva R, Zheutlin AB, et al.Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1·2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018 Sep;5(9):739-746. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for getting more active minutes.
Franke A, Harder H, Orth AK, et al.Postprandial walking but not consumption of alcoholic digestifs or espresso accelerates gastric emptying in healthy volunteers.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.2008 Mar;17(1):27-31
Chen H, Chen C, Spanos M, et al.Exercise training maintains cardiovascular health: signaling pathways involved and potential therapeutics.Sig Transduct Target Ther.2022;7(306). doi:10.1038/s41392-022-01153-1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity: an overview.
de Oliveira EP, Burini RC, Jeukendrup A.Gastrointestinal complaints during exercise: prevalence, etiology, and nutritional recommendations.Sports Med. 2014 May;44 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S79-85. doi:10.1007/s40279-014-0153-2
Hijikata Y, Yamada S.Walking just after a meal seems to be more effective for weight loss than waiting for one hour to walk after a meal.Int J Gen Med.2011;4:447-50. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S18837
Buffey AJ, Herring MP, Langley CK, et al.The acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting time in adults with standing and light-intensity walking on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sports Med.2022;52:1765–1787. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4
DiPietro L, Gribok A, Stevens MS, et al.Three 15-min bouts of moderate postmeal walking significantly improves 24-h glycemic control in older people at risk for impaired glucose tolerance.Diabetes Care. 2013 Oct;36(10):3262-8. doi:10.2337/dc13-0084
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Healthy eating and the holidays.
UCLA Health.Walk this way: how to make walking all the cardiovascular exercise you need.
Franczyk B, Gluba-Brzózka A, Ciałkowska-Rysz A, et al.The impact of aerobic exercise on HDL quantity and quality: a narrative review.Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(5):4653. doi:10.3390/ijms24054653
Mabire L, Mani R, Liu L, et al.The influence of age, sex and body mass index on the effectiveness of brisk walking for obesity management in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Phys Act Health. 2017;14(5):389-407. doi:10.1123/jpah.2016-0064
Yu DJ, Yu AP, Leung CK, et al.Comparison of moderate and vigorous walking exercise on reducing depression in middle-aged and older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Eur J Sport Sci. 2023;23(6):1018-1027. doi:10.1080/17461391.2022.2079424
Brooker H, Hayman V, Aarsland D, et al.Impact of brisk walking on cognitive decline in adults with and without early impairment: a FLAME analysis in the PROTECT cohort.Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2021;17(S10):e054078. doi:10.1002/alz.054078
Moore SC, Lee IM, Weiderpass E, et alAssociation of leisure-time physical activity with risk of 26 types of cancer in 1.44 million adults.JAMA Intern Med.2016;176(6):816-25. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548
Jayedi A, Zargar MS, Emadi A, Aune D.Walking speed and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2024;58(6):334-342. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-107336
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measuring physical activity intensity.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
