A new health and wellness trend called "fart walk" is gaining traction on social media after receiving firm backing from medical professionals. According to the New York Post, the term, "fart walk", was first coined by Canadian cookbook author Mairlyn Smith. The trend revolves around taking a light walk after meals and embracing the simple joys of letting loose. According to experts, this habit could just be the low-effort longevity secret you've been looking for, as it can help improve long-term health by promoting intestinal motility and reducing gas and constipation.
"Going for a fart walk after dinner is something that is going to help you age wonderfully," Smith said in a TikTok, explainaing that the primary goal of this fitness routine is to aid digestion and ward off serious disease.
"We eat a lot of fiber, so we have gas - everybody does - so you fart when you walk," Smith explained, per the Post. "But the main reason we do the fart walks is by walking for as little as two minutes...we are helping reduce our chances of developing Type 2 diabetes," she added.
Dr Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine physician at New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, backed Smith's fitness trend. "I totally support fart walks," he said in an Instagram video. "Walking after meals does promote intestinal motility - or movement of our intestines - to get rid of gas and prevent constipation. Another benefit of exercise is not only preventing large spikes in blood sugar or even making us more sensitive to insulin for up to 24 hours, but it also lowers our cancer risk," he added.
According to The Independent, Dr. Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at the University of Washington Medical Centre, also supported the trend. He explained that a post-meal walk is most effective if done within an hour of eating.
"If you wait too long, you'll miss the spike because it starts going up within minutes after you eat when the stomach starts to empty into the small intestine where all of the nutrients, including glucose, get absorbed into the blood," he said.
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Lastly, according to experts, "fart walks" can also reduce the risk of cancer. "Going for a walk at an average to brisk pace can provide people with a tremendous health benefit. It's free, easy, and can be done anywhere," Dr. Alpa Patel, of the American Cancer Society, said.
"You get more bang for the buck if you walk after meals," Loretta DiPietro, a professor of exercise and nutrition science at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, explained.
