Even Just A Short Walk After Eating Can Support Blood Sugar Levels, Says New Review

Odds are, if you've just enjoyed a delicious meal, you're not going to feel terribly inclined to get active immediately afterward. However, if you're trying to be more cognizant of your blood sugar levels, adding a simple walk into your routine may make a pretty big impact. In fact, a new systematic review and meta-analysis1 published in Sports Medicine recently revealed that a short walk after meals may help manage blood sugar levels, and even just a two- to five-minute stroll could be enough.

After analyzing the data of seven different clinical trials conducted on adults primarily struggling with obesity, researchers learned that breaking up bouts of sitting with standing or light exercise after eating a meal can help support healthy glucose and insulin levels. Surprisingly, while it was previously believed that more moving time was needed to reap the benefits, it really only takes two to five minutes of walking to kick-start things. Additionally, while it was light exercise that revealed the most impact on post-meal glucose levels and insulin, standing also supported glucose levels but had no significant impact on insulin.

Controlling a glucose spike allows for a more gradual release of energy, giving you a better bang for your buck when it comes to your meals, so it may be worth considering getting just a few extra steps in after dinner instead of immediately stretching out on the couch to watch some TV.

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While strategically eating a balanced meal to help regulate blood sugar is a good first step, getting a little movement in after your meals is an easy way to break up your sedentary lifestyle and support healthy glucose and insulin levels. Of course, it's still recommended that you work toward 30 minutes of exercise each day2, but if you can squeeze in just a few minutes of light movement after eating, your glucose levels will reap the benefits.