What is a 'fart walk'? The post-dinner TikTok trend that health experts love
It’s not quite as sexy as a 'hot girl walk', but 'fart walks' have become a huge TikTok trend - and for good reason.
A 'fart walk' refers to a walk taken post-dinner that helps the body to release gas, hence the name. The term was coined by social media user Mairlyn Smith, who first shared a video about her and her husband’s walks after dinner on Instagram.
Smith, a Canadian cookbook author and self-proclaimed 'queen of fibre', said she and her husband usually take their walk about an hour after dinner, and explained that it not only helps them pass gas, but also reduces their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
"Walking is helping to maintain our blood sugar, it’s keeping them from ricocheting all around," Smith said in her video. "As you age, especially after 40, you have a bigger chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. So it’s these little things we do on a regular basis that can have a really big impact on your long-term path."
Smith’s video inspired hundreds of people on Instagram and TikTok to share their own 'fart walks', with more than 150 million posts tagged 'Fart Walk' on the platform - much to the delight of medical experts.
How is a 'fart walk' beneficial?
It’s normal to experience some bloating after a meal, but it can get uncomfortable. However, the best way to alleviate this feeling is to get up and get moving.
Studies show that exercising isn’t just good for our physical health, but also for our gut health - particularly, our digestive system.
According to Taylor Clark, physiologist at AXA Health, physical activity increases blood flow to the muscles in the digestive system, which moves food - and gas - along the digestive tract.
This means that exercise can help the digestive system work more quickly and effectively. Walking is the ideal exercise to do after a meal, as it’s gentle enough while still helping move things along.
Writing in The Conversation, gastroenterologist Vincent Ho added that walking can help "increase internal abdominal pressure as you use your abdominal muscles to stay upright and balance as you walk".
"This pressure on the colon helps to push intestinal gas out," he explained. Ho also said that a 'fart walk' can help with constipation, as "the more you walk, the better the benefits for gut symptoms".
As Smith said, research also shows that exercising in the evening can help bring blood sugar levels down and offset insulin resistance, which is at its highest at night.
Dr Sermed Mezher, a GP based in London, shared extra information in a TikTok video about 'fart walks' and said: "Walking after dinner is good for more than just testing the rear cannon.
"Walking after eating gives us one of the highest rewards for the least effort as that glucose spike from the food is minimised by using the energy straight away."
How long should a 'fart walk' be?
Smith said in her video that walking for as little as just two minutes can still reap the benefits of a 'fart walk'.
"We usually walk for about 10, 15, 20 [minutes], but not really quickly, it’s more of a moderate walk," she said.
Dr Mezher pointed to research that showed "we can limit the glucose spikes from eating up to 66% by simply doing a 20 minute walk after eating".
However, there are also exercises you can do at home to help alleviate gas, such as the 'happy baby' yoga pose. This involves laying on your back and bringing your knees up to your chest. Grab your feet above you and rock side to side.
Read more about health and wellness:
How to add short bursts of exercise to your daily routine (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
13 Reasons Why You’re Farting So Much, Right Now (Women's Health, 5-min read)
Doctor says bloating could be worsened by one mistake - and it's not related to 'food' (SurreyLive, 2-min read)
