Benefits of Walking After Dinner

Walking has been popularized as the easiest convenient and beneficial exercise. If you are not at all the exercising types, then just including a 30-minute walk into your daily schedule is enough to keep you and your heart healthy. One of the best times to walk is either in the morning or walking after dinner. No matter how busy your schedule is you have to sleep. Just include a 20-minute walk after dinner as your daily night schedule and you are good to go. Below is the guide to help you get started on those night-time walking regimes.

Walking or Strolling After Dinner?

It’s very easy for you to get confused between walking and strolling. To make it easy for you, strolling is a form of walking. It involves walking at a slow and leisurely pace. Strolling is a leisurely activity aimed at relaxing and unwinding. Walking, on the other hand, is a general term that includes strolling, striding and brisk walk. However, technicalities aside whenever you hear the term walking it is associated with a brisk fast pace and pegged as an exercise.

What Are the Health Benefits of Walking and Walking After Dinner?

Walking has a lot to its credit. You might be wondering how walking can be beneficial. It’s after all just walking. Something you indulge in every day. Some benefits of walking after dinner or for that matter anytime that will wow and amaze you are listed below:

• Boosts Digestion
• Improves metabolism
• Increases energy levels
• Regulates the blood sugar
• Enhances immunity
• Regulates blood pressure
• Beats depression
• Reduces the triglyceride levels

These are the general benefits that apply to post-dinner walks as well. Now coming to the specific benefits of walking after dinner for your interest:

• Reduces nighttime cravings
• Builds your after dark ritual
• Aids in getting a restful sleep
• Reduces the stresses of the day and helps to unwind
• Helps digest dinner so your body metabolism is slow when you hit the bed
• More effective in weight loss

The Numerous Claims

Some common misconceptions that people have related to walking post-dinner are:

• Fatigue
• Stomachache
• Muscle cramps
• Bloating
• Indigestion

It will be wrong to completely rubbish these claims. Myths are misconceptions that are rooted in ignorance. Here these factors will hold if you indulge in a brisk walk immediately after dinner. The trick to reaping benefits of walking after dinner is:

• Indulging in a light breezy walk which will aid you in digesting your dinner.
• Wait for about 30 min post-dinner to go on the walk.
• Judge your body’s reaction and adjust speed and duration accordingly.
• See how tired you are. Don’t force yourself to take a walk if your body is giving you contrary signals.

How to Walk Properly Post Dinner?

Walking is one of the most commonly taken for granted exercise. Given how natural walking is you as with a lot of other people don’t take care of the basics involved. Some factors to remember when preparing to take a walk are:

• Plan out your schedule including how fast, how long and which route to follow.
• A good rule of thumb is to wait for 30 min post-dinner. If your dinner was a heavy mean then waiting for an hour will be a good idea.
• Invest in good walking shoes that provide adequate support and cushion to your feet.
• Don’t drink too much water right before walking or after your dinner.

Should You Be Walking Right Before Sleeping?

Like walking right after dinner is a bad idea, walking right before sleeping is also a very bad idea. Walking releases endorphins pumps your adrenaline and makes you active. To reap the benefit of a good night’s rest you must give yourself some time to relax after your walk and before you hit the sheets.

Settling Doubts

Is Walking at Night Good For You?

Walking at night is good as long as you take certain precautions.

What Should You Be Doing Post-Dinner?

You should wait for at least 30 minutes after dinner to take your walk or one hour after to sleep. Water should also be avoided for 30 minutes.

Can You Exercise After Dinner?

Exercising after dinner is a bad idea. Indulging in any form of strenuous activity including walking post-dinner is not advisable. Therefore, the stress is on a breezy leisurely walk after dinner.

Does Walking Post-Dinner Help in Weight Loss?

Yes, post-dinner walking aids in weight loss by improving digestion and metabolism rate.

Walking post-dinner is a very beneficial exercise but as with all the other exercises you must bear in mind the above points otherwise it might rebound on you. Remember that the best thing about walking is that it’s free as nature intended it to be.