Walking is proven to be an effective cardiovascular exercise and it can help you with multiple health benefits. But there is a new walk going viral on social media that is being called as the ‘Fart Walk’. Lets know what it is and how does it aid digestion.
Tiktok creator Marilyn Smith recently introduced this new fitness hack to her followers. Marilyn shared that she and her husband lace up their walking shoes and go for a walk after 60 mins of dinner everyday. “Now why do we do this? Well, we eat a lot of fibre so we have gas, everybody does. And yeah, you fart while you walk, that’s why I named it”, Marilyn said.
How does Fart Walk aid digestion?
While sharing how the legendary Fart Walk came into existence, she mentioned how it all started 10 years ago when she went for a walk with her husband and realised how realeasing the farts helped with over all digestion, and that they have been doing it ever since.
While sharing her expertise with the SELF, Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone, explained, “When you are moving, your GI tract is also moving. This helps trigger gut motility, or movement of your intestines, which is essential for properly breaking down food.” When you move to make sure your food is digested well, you prevent discomforts like heartburn, bloating and acid reflux.
Why is body movement essential for proper digestion?
According to recent research, even small movements like walking can set off a nerve reflex that aids in moving food and gas through the digestive system. Additionally, as you walk, your abdominal muscles contract, applying internal pressure to the colon and assisting in the evacuation of intestinal gas.
Apart from this, walking also has multiple benefits. It helps improve you cardiovascular health, helps with weight management, helps with joint mobility and helps with mental well-being. Moreover, walking after your meals helps in stabilizing blood sugar levels.
While excitedly sharing her experience, Marilyn said, “It’s these little things you do on a regular basis that can have a long-term health [benefit]. So saddle yourself up for a fart walk.”