What you once knew as an after-dinner stroll has been rebranded a “fart walk” on social media—and the trend is having a moment. Fans of the so-called fart walk—a short stroll taken up to about an hour after eating a meal—claim it aids digestion and relieves GI symptoms like gas and bloating. But what do doctors think?
New name, old concept
“Feeling bloated after a meal is common,” says Dr. David D. Clarke, a clinical assistant professor of gastroenterology emeritus at Oregon Health & Science University and president of the Association of the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms. That’s because people eat too much, or they eat too quickly and swallow excess air, or they drink beverages with dissolved gas in them like soda or beer.
To counter symptoms like these and help relieve gas naturally, walking after dinner can help, doctors agree. Walking can enhance the muscle contractions of the gastrointestinal tract—a wave-like movement called peristalsis—which can help pass the gas as belches or flatulence, explains Clarke. Research has also long supported taking a postprandial walk for a different reason: it helps reduce blood sugar levels.
The varied benefits of a fart walk
This is one social media trend physicians can get behind. A fart walk helps relieve symptoms of bloating and gas and promotes motility of the bowels, says Dr. Shawn Khodadadian of Manhattan Gastroenterology in New York City. Clarke agrees; mild-to-moderate exercise, such as walking, helps the stomach empty more quickly, improving transit through the intestinal tract and clearing out gas and waste through the digestive system, all of which can help alleviate issues like bloating and constipation, he says. “Walking promotes muscle contractions in the stomach and intestines that can lead to belching and farting,” he says. That quicker emptying will also “decrease the time that acid is present in the stomach,” which relieves heartburn in most people, Clarke says. (However, some people with poor tone in the sphincter muscle—at the junction of the esophagus and stomach—might experience more acid reflux when stomach contractions are stimulated by walking, he warns.)
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Fart walking may be particularly beneficial for those with medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and metabolic syndrome. “There have been studies that show that mobility in general can lead to decreased sensation of gas and bloating in patients with IBS symptoms,” says Khodadadian. Plus, a post-meal stroll’s ability to better regulate blood sugar is especially helpful for people with metabolic syndrome, he says. Short walks after eating can also benefit the heart: helping to stave off weight gain, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, support overall cardiovascular fitness, says Khodadadian.
Other perks of fart walking might include reducing the risk of diabetes, Clarke says. “Walking after a meal facilitates removal of blood sugar by the muscles and thereby reduces the need for insulin secretion by the pancreas,” Clarke says, which may reduce the risk for the future development of diabetes.
A postprandial amble can also brighten your mood. “The addition of aerobic exercise has been shown to improve stress, anxiety, and mild depression,” says Khodadadian. “This can happen by reducing baseline cortisol levels over time, by improving sleep quality, and by increasing levels of chemicals such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin in the body.”
How to get the most out of your fart walk
Fart walks don’t have to be long to be effective. Aim for at least four to five minutes of light-to-moderate paced walking within about an hour of finishing a meal. (More is better: for more sustained GI benefits, shoot for 30–60 minutes of moderate-paced walking on most days of the week, Clarke says.)
Walking is generally healthy for everyone, and it should not be strenuous—but if you have had recent surgery, motility issues, abdominal distress, arthritis, or heart or lung issues, you should check with your doctor first before proceeding, adds Khodadadian. Based on your medical history, recommendations may vary for precisely how long you walk, he says, but the goal is ultimately to be able to engage in an appropriate level of exercise—including fart walking—for you.
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