THE SECRET TO A HEALTHIER HOLIDAY
Yes, it’s as simple as taking a walk after dinner!
It’s almost the season for family, friends and all those foods we love, from buttered dinner rolls and green beans coated in mushroom soup to rich, creamy desserts. No wonder we want to cozy up with the TV remote when brain and body fog set in. Don’t do it! It’s smarter and healthier to take a short walk outside.
“When the kids were growing up, we had a holiday tradition of taking a walk break after a meal,” says Teresa Kowalski, a second-grade teacher in Cranford, N.J. “Getting out into the crisp air and sunshine was a great way to turn down the stress of dealing with family and alleviate the sluggish feeling after overindulging. We felt refreshed afterward.”
In fact, the benefits of walking may allow you to have your pie and eat it too. “Taking a 30-minute walk after a meal—especially during the holidays, when meals are bigger and more tempting—does a lot of good things for your body and mind,” says Philip Junglas, M.D., an internist at Cleveland Clinic. Moderate exercise increases your metabolism and optimizes many of your body systems. It also lowers blood pressure and increases heart rate—two keys to a healthy heart. Here, Junglas highlights five more reasons to take a walk.
1. IT’S GOOD FOR DIGESTION After a meal, movement will aid in processing and metabolizing some of those delicious calories. A gentle activity like walking moves food from the stomach into the intestines, helping you shake off the sleepiness you sometimes feel after overindulging.
A faster walk, on the other hand, slows down digestion, says Junglas, but it has other benefits—fending off heartburn and constipation.
2. IT’S CALMING If you are still a little ruffled after your child acted up at the table or you had a political tussle with your opinionated uncle, a walk can reset your attitude. Activity increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive function and memory, says Junglas. Walking outside among the trees and greenery delivers more benefits than a short spin on a treadmill, significantly reducing the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
3. IT CONTROLS BLOOD SUGAR Even a brief walk after eating—two to five minutes—can lower blood sugar and insulin levels, studies show. Waiting an hour or so after a meal—when blood sugar levels spike—is the ideal time to head out. Tidy the table and load up the dishwasher and lace up your walking shoes when you’re done. You’ll come back refreshed.
5. YOU’LL STRENGTHEN FAMILY BONDS
“When you go outside, you get outside your head,” says Kowalski. “Stress melts away. We felt calmer after walking—a little more carefree and open to what the rest of the holiday offered.” Even moms and their preteen daughters got along better after a 20-minute walk together, according to research from the University of Illinois.