Now you can add another reason to go for a walk after a meal — it can lower your blood sugar.
Study co-author Aidan Buffey, a PhD student in the department of physical education and sports science at the University of Limerick in Ireland, said standing up after a meal may also help, but not as much as putting one foot in front of the other.
“Intermittent standing breaks during the day and after meals reduced glucose by an average of 9.51% compared to prolonged sitting. However, intermittent light-intensity walking during the day resulted in an average glucose reduction of 17.01% compared to prolonged sitting.” , – Buffey informed CNN about this via e-mail.
“This suggests that breaking up prolonged sitting with periods of standing and light walking throughout the day is beneficial for glucose levels,” he said.
Standing is good, but walking is better
“Among the seven reviewed studies, total activity time during observation was about 28 minutes, with standing and light walking intervals lasting between 2 and 5 minutes,” Buffey said.
Standing was better when it came to blood sugar levels than going straight to a desk or couch, but it didn’t help lower insulin in the bloodstream.
However, if people take a short walk after eating, their blood sugar levels rise and fall gradually, and their insulin levels are more stable than when they are standing or sitting.
You want to get more out of your efforts from low blood sugar? Step up your game to meet the minimum physical activity standards for Americans: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity.
That translates to just 21.43 minutes of getting up and moving every day of the week to reduce your risk of death. everything by a third.
It’s worth the effort, right?
