There are walking trends on TikTok that I'll never, ever understand (ahem, the Hot Girl Walk), but there are some that actually could be beneficial for your body. In fact, many gut health experts highly recommend this one: fart walking.
As you can probably guess, the fart walking trend took off last year for its ability to boost digestion and relieve bloating and gas, but it's since fallen into the discarded pile for many, as naturally, new trends have taken over social media.
I'm here to tell you that while this walking "workout" might not be at the top of your priority list, there are a few fart walking benefits you should consider before letting it pass in the wind. Here's exactly what you need to know.
What is 'fart walking?'
The idea is to take a short walk after a meal to aid digestion and balance blood sugar; this could be as little as 10 minutes or even 20 or 30, depending on the time you want to spend on it.
We know that research shows many benefits of walking, including reduced sedentary time and improved resting metabolism, plus staying active can help keep bones and muscles strong, improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Fairly recently, the tides turned on the whole 10,000-step debate. According to newer research, as little as 7,000 steps could be enough, and pace matters more for certain benefits. So, instead of looking at one of the best fitness trackers to check your step count, why not focus on the quality of your walk and the benefits of fart walking instead?
Benefits of a fart walk
Though the amount of research on fart walking itself is pretty, well, limited, funnily enough, we know that taking light movement after eating can aid peristalsis, which means the muscle contractions that aid gas and food along your digestive tract. We also know that gentle movement helps boost mood and relaxation, which can actually be good for digestive health (stress is the enemy of the gut, after all).
Diabetes UK even recommends walking throughout the day to help balance blood sugar, as muscles and cells take up glucose from the bloodstream to be stored or used. Your body uses glucose as an energy source, so it's worth keeping in mind. Balanced blood sugars over the long term could help improve your metabolic health.
Personally, I'm a big fan of a walk after dinner because it gives me a chance to walk my dog in peace and helps me transition from work mode to wind-down time. If you have a desk job, a fart walk will help you break up time spent sitting, help clock up steps and burn energy during the day.
And that is all while keeping your muscles, bones, heart and lungs strong, especially if you like a more vigorous walk.
We know that taking light movement after eating can aid peristalsis, which means the muscle contractions that aid gas and food along your digestive tract. We also know that gentle movement helps boost mood and relaxation.
While you might want to jump on a treadmill or an under-desk treadmill, getting outdoors, especially into nature, could be even more beneficial for managing stress and anxiety.
The Mental Health Foundation says natural environments help shift the body into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a state of calm and rest. Your vagus nerve, also called the gut-brain axis, is a communicator between brain and gut, so managing your stress and anxiety levels can also improve gut health over the long term.
I recommend starting small and light, maybe just five minutes around the block or slightly longer if you feel up to it. Play around with locations and paces, and see if you can focus on your surroundings rather than staring down at your phone. Aim to walk within 60 minutes of finishing your meal. I personally like to go about 10 or 15 minutes after eating.
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