1-Hour Walk vs. 10-Min Walk After Every Meal: Which Is Better?

18 November 2024

Hello Ziddis! We give very little credit to one of the most effective workouts. Walking! Walking is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve overall health. Haven’t we all tried to have 10k steps a day? But is it really that important to walk dedicatedly to complete 10k steps? Do you need to focus on walking for 1 hour or does a 10 min walk work too? Let us understand more about this!

Health Benefits of Walking

Walking has loads of benefits. It is known as a low-impact exercise but can help you in the long run. How? See for yourself: Helps your heart pump blood more efficiently.

Regulates your blood pressure
Improves your digestion and metabolism
Reduces stress
Lifts your mood by releasing endorphins
Help burn calories
Help maintain and lose weight.

Walking After a Meal

Walking after a meal is a practice deeply rooted in our tradition. If we follow our elders who stroll around the house after having a hearty meal, we could get the benefits of walking after a meal too. Like:

It helps maintain blood sugar levels, especially in people suffering from insulin resistance

It is good for digestion
Removes lethargy
Reduces bloating
Curbs acidity

Advantages of Walking After Dinner

A walk after dinner could be a ritual you follow every day. Here is why you should incorporate it:

Light activity before bed can help you sleep better
Relaxes your mood right before sleep
Help reduce midnight cravings
Do not let the fat settle on your tummy when you are in a dormant state for 7-9 hours.
Improves digestion
Supports gut function

Benefit of Walking 1 Hour a Day

In this long debate of whether walking 1 hour a day is important or not, here is how if you can fit it into your schedule it could be great for your health:

You can burn around 300 to 500 calories by brisk walking for 1 hour

It helps your muscles build
It improves your stamina
It brings clarity into your mental space
You feel more disciplined
You can work more efficiently on self-care
You get enough time with yourself.
It helps you reach your steps goal.

10 Min Walk Benefits

If you are usually busy and can spare only 10 min, make sure you squeeze this 10 min walk to get the most benefits. Here is how it could help you:

Studies suggest that right after a meal if you walk around for 10 minutes, you could successfully stabilize your blood sugar levels rather than a longer walk.
10 min walk can improve your glycemic control.
It is ideal for your busy schedule so you don’t miss walking.
It is a good step to build habits and start a routine.

Benefits of Walking Barefoot

Have you heard about grounding yourself? It is an act of walking barefoot on the ground to feel more connected to the earth. We often hear people say “Go touch some grass you will feel better” What does it mean? It means when you walk barefoot, your body enhances the benefits of walking. But please only try this in a clean environment to avoid allergies. Walking barefoot on the grass could be even more beneficial.

Spiritually, it helps you connect with Mother Earth
Mentally, it calms you down
Psychologically, it reduces your stress levels.
Physiologically, walking barefoot activates pressure points that help overall health.
Cosmetically, it helps reduce inflammation in the body.

Takeaway

The point comes down to whether it is a 1 hour walk or 10 min walk or even multiple mini-walk sessions, getting into a habit of walking can improve your health exponentially. So to reap the benefits of walking start today itself. Your body will thank you for it. Make sure to wear comfy clothes like jogger pants and keep your drink handy in a shaker bottle. Make the most of the time you get with yourself while walking and stay mindful through your walk. You can also make it a colour walk to feel excited about the activity. The goal is not 10k steps the goal is to make sure you walk every day for yourself.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261