Why a simple ‘fart walk’ should be your post-Thanksgiving ritual

Thanksgiving is all about indulgence, eating till you have unbutton your jeans. But that bliss of licking your plate clean off can be easily replaced with the discomfort of that gassy feeling. Worry not! You can always take a 'fart walk'.



Listen, you can always ignore the discomfort and sleep it off. Sitting upright helps your body move intestinal gas about 33 percent more efficiently than lying down, explains Trisha Pasricha, to the Washington Post.

The science behind “fart walks”

Doctors have recommended walking to ease gas and bloating for years, but for a long time, there wasn’t solid experimental evidence. That changed in the mid-2000s, when researchers in Barcelona decided to test whether mild exercise could actually move gas through the gut.



They recruited healthy volunteers, had them pedal on an adapted bicycle at about 7 mph, and infused gas directly into their small intestines to mimic what happens after meals. The researchers measured how much gas was released during rest and during exercise.



At rest, volunteers accumulated more gas. But during exercise, the results shifted: after short periods of mild activity, people expelled more gas than the amount infused. This meant that exercise not only pushed out the added gas but also cleared some of the gas already sitting in the gut.



A second experiment focused on people who frequently experienced bloating or discomfort, including those with irritable bowel syndrome. Again, mild movement reduced the amount of gas retained and eased symptoms like pressure, gurgling, and bloating. To get these precise measurements, participants wore a leakproof rectal catheter connected to a barostat, a setup that explains why the study stayed firmly inside a lab.

Why walking helps after meals

The gut creates about half a gallon of gas each day through swallowed air, chemical reactions, and the work of gut microbes, especially when digesting fiber or lactose. Most of this never becomes uncomfortable because the body removes gas efficiently through belching, passing gas, or absorbing it into the bloodstream. At any given moment, most people carry only 7 to 14 tablespoons of gas.



But for people prone to bloating, or anyone after a big Thanksgiving meal, that extra buildup can feel uncomfortable. A short walk can help ease the pressure, and it may offer another benefit. Several randomized controlled trials show that a 15-minute walk right after eating reduces the post-meal blood sugar spike more effectively than walking beforehand. When done regularly, post-meal walks can even improve Hemoglobin A1c levels, a key marker in prediabetes and diabetes.



Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment and before changing your diet or supplement regimen.