Don’t sit after every meal – walk for 10 minutes

Rather than collapsing onto your sofa right after a meal, it is best to walk for ten minutes to help regulate blood glucose levels in your bloodstream post-meal. (Envato Elements pic) PETALING JAYA: What do you usually do after lunch? In the office, you probably return to your desk. If you work from home, you may move from the dining table back to your laptop. After dinner, the sofa and TV can feel like a reward.

But this means you often eat and then barely move while your body deals with that meal.

A 10-minute walk can change what happens next.

What happens to your blood glucose after eating?

When you eat carbohydrates, your digestive system breaks much of that rice, noodles, bread or pasta down into glucose. This enters your bloodstream, causing your blood glucose level to rise.

Your pancreas releases insulin, which acts like a key to help glucose move from the bloodstream into your cells, where it can be used for energy or stored.

A rise in blood glucose after eating is a normal part of digestion. However, the size and speed of that rise are influenced by what you eat, how much you eat and what you do afterwards.

When you remain seated, your muscles are relatively inactive. When you walk, the muscles in your legs contract and demand fuel, so they take up and use more glucose from the bloodstream. Moving while glucose is entering the bloodstream can therefore help soften the immediate post-meal spike.

Walking for just ten minutes after a meal is long enough to work your body’s large muscles while blood glucose is rising, yet short enough to fit into a busy day. (Envato Elements pic) Why 10 minutes?

Ten minutes is not a magic number, but researchers have studied this manageable amount with encouraging results.

In one study involving adults with type 2 diabetes, walking for 10 minutes after each main meal improved post-meal glucose control more than taking one 30-minute walk at another time of day. The benefit was greatest after dinner, when participants ate more carbohydrate and were usually least active.

A newer small study in healthy adults also found that a comfortable 10-minute walk immediately after glucose intake reduced both the peak and overall glucose response compared with remaining seated.

This gives everyone a practical, doable message that timing matters. Ten minutes is long enough to get the large muscles working while blood glucose is rising, yet short enough to fit into a busy day.

A short walk may also help you avoid just sinking into your chair after lunch and may help you return to work feeling much more refreshed.

‘But I don’t have time’

Ten minutes is shorter than many people spend scrolling through their phones after eating.

You do not need special sports clothes. Walk around your office floor, take a lap around the building and enjoy the sunshine or walk while making a telephone call.

Even light activity like washing the dishes post-meal activates your muscles and helps regulate your blood glucose level. (Envato Elements pic) At home, walk along your street, use your apartment corridor or stairwell or invite your family to join you. If you cannot go outside, clear the table, wash the dishes or put away laundry. The aim is to activate your muscles instead of moving from one seat to another.

Begin with five minutes if 10 feels difficult. A habit practised consistently is more valuable than an ambitious plan you keep postponing.

Is this only for people with diabetes?

No. Healthy adults can benefit from breaking up prolonged sitting and helping their bodies use the glucose from a meal. It also adds movement to an otherwise sedentary day.

This is not about “burning off” the calories of your meal or feeling guilty for eating. It is about giving your body a helping hand.

For people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, post-meal walking can be especially helpful in managing the immediate glucose spike. But it complements rather than replaces balanced meals, medication and a regular exercise programme.

As a precaution, if you take insulin or medication that can cause low blood glucose, get personalised advice about exercise timing and monitoring from your doctor or certified diabetes educator. Anyone with heart, foot, balance or mobility concerns should always choose a safe activity.

So, knowing what you know now, choose one meal today. When you’re done eating, get up before excuses settle in and walk comfortably for 10 minutes. Your muscles are ready to use that glucose. All you have to do is move them.