A physical activity expert has found that walking for just 15 minutes can have an "immediate effect" on blood pressure and blood sugar control, helping to protect health in the long term.
Dr. Elroy Aguiar, associate professor of exercise science , at the Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama (USA), who specializes in studying physical activity and its significance in preventing and controlling diabetes and cardiovascular disease, advises: Walking after meals, only 15 minutes but has "immediate effects" in controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, according to the Independent .
Walking has many health benefits and people can walk at any time of the day to reap the benefits.
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Research published in the International Journal of General Medicine found that walking immediately after a meal was more effective for weight loss than walking at the same time later in the day. This may be related to its ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
Why should you walk after meals?
Even a short walk has an immediate effect, says Dr. Aguiar. You'll immediately lower your blood pressure and blood sugar!
A study of older adults at risk of glucose intolerance found that those who walked for 15 minutes immediately after a meal had the lowest blood sugar response throughout the day, compared with walking for 15 minutes in the morning or evening.
This is because during exercise, sugar is taken into the cells of the working muscles to be used as energy. Therefore, blood sugar levels will decrease, thereby helping to maintain more stable energy levels and reducing the burden on the pancreas in the task of regulating blood sugar levels.
Exercising 15 minutes after a meal will lower your blood sugar and keep it at a better level for 24 to 48 hours, explains Dr. Aguiar.
This type of walking is called “snipping” exercise – breaking up a large amount of exercise into smaller chunks. Instead of running around sweating for an hour, just walking for 15 minutes after each main meal will benefit your health.
Walking after meals, just 15 minutes but has "immediate effect" in controlling blood pressure
Photo: AI
Who should walk after meals?
This advice is especially important for people with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or high blood pressure. But Dr. Aguiar emphasizes that anyone can benefit.
This is beneficial for everyone because it reduces the amount of work the pancreas has to do to process excess glucose in the blood, says Aguiar. Metabolic syndrome—a combination of five cardiovascular risk factors: belly fat, high triglycerides, high bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar—is a silent killer because its effects accumulate over many years.
Immediately after exercise, you lower your blood pressure and blood sugar, explains Aguiar. That effect over the years will prevent you from developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
How to maximize the benefits of walking after meals
To maximize the benefits of a post-meal walk, try walking briskly at first — 130 steps per minute or more, suggests Dr. Aguiar. Walk so fast that you feel a little out of breath or sweat a little. You can talk but not sing. That's moderate intensity, according to the Independent.
This is in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines: At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
Exercising daily, or at least every other day, at a moderate intensity, will improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, adds Dr. Aguiar.
It is best to walk as soon as possible after a meal, especially to stabilize blood sugar. Blood sugar levels rise to their maximum level 30-60 minutes after a meal. Therefore, it is necessary to start walking before blood sugar levels reach that level to regulate blood sugar levels.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-di-bo-gio-nay-giup-ha-huyet-ap-duong-huyet-ngay-lap-tuc-185250424223752953.htm
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