It’s Thanksgiving, and those pants are feeling a bit tighter than before dinner. While it might be tempting to curl up on the couch and take a nap, consider going for a “fart walk” instead.
Mairlyn Smith, the award-winning cookbook author who popularized the term, recommends taking a short walk after dinner to help with digestion and bloating.
“Going on a ‘fart walk’ after dinner is something that is going to help you age wonderfully,” Smith said in the TikTok video.The name of the stroll may induce laughter, but cultures around the globe believe in the power of a short walk after a big dinner. In Italy, it’s called la passeggiata, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and in China, an old proverb advises: “If you take 100 steps after each meal, you’ll live to 99.”
Here’s what to know about fart walks and how they can benefit you.
More: How to make the best Thanksgiving stuffing
What is a fart walk?
A “fart walk” is a stroll you take within an hour after eating a meal that helps get the stomach moving and could reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, according the Right as Rain, a publication from the University of Washington Medicine.
What are the benefits of fart walks?
The benefits could include the following, according to Right as Rain:
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Open up your bowels and empty out your stomach quickly
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Moderate blood sugar levels
In general, there are also plenty of other benefits of going on walks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Going for walks can help adults lose and maintain weight, prevent conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, strengthen muscles and bones, and improve cardiovascular fitness.
Adults should aim to complete 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week, according to the clinic. One way to accomplish that goal is to walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
More: Is walking good for you? Experts say these are all the benefits of this simple exercise
Who should go on fart walks?
People who are 35 and older could benefit the most from going on “fart walks” as the chance for developing type 2 diabetes rises for those older than 35, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. But children and teenagers can also develop the disease.
The following can also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
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Being overweight or having obesity
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Having a family history of diabetes
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Not being physically active or living a sedentary life
People who are African American, Native American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
When should you go on your Thanksgiving fart walk?
Aim to go on a walk within an hour of eating your Thanksgiving meal, according to the University of Washington. Blood sugar usually spikes an hour after eating a meal, so the optimal time to go for a walk would be before that happens.
Smith recommends walking span from 10 to 20 minutes after meals.
“It’s these little things you do on a regular basis that can have a big impact on your long-term health,” Smith said in her video.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a ‘fart walk?’ Meaning behind the post-dinner trend