Post-Meal Siesta v/s Post-Meal Walk
Ultra.fit
Shifa Fathima's photo

By Shifa Fatima, MSc.,

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Apoorva T, MHM.

Reviewed: May 22, 2022

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The Better Choice Experiment

Components

1. Sleeping After a Meal

2. Walking After a Meal

Experiment Question

Should You Sleep After a Meal OR Go For a Walk After a Meal?

Experiment Answer

Walk for 15 Minutes After a Meal

Walking 15 minutes after the meal will regulate overall blood sugar levels of the body and it also aids digestion. Studies have shown that it improves the insulin action and sensitivity and reduces blood sugar levels by 22%.

Scientific Rationale

Benefits of Walking

  • Being active and having a regular habit of walking can help prevent or reverse prediabetes and insulin resistance. Also know about prediabetes diet.
  • Helps us burn calories allowing us to keep our weight in check.
  • A brisk morning or evening walk helps you to build your stamina and thereby making your heart healthier.
  • Walking also helps you to improve your sleep and reduces stress.
  • It helps the body to use insulin more efficiently and effectively.
  • Helps us reduce fat around your abdomen, this allows the cells to have better access to insulin, and thus the blood sugar level is regulated.

Getting Started

You have to give a light start irrespective of what you are doing. Be it yoga or walking, while opting to include it in your daily routine, you should set a realistic goal. Setting a time apart each day or certain days of the week be it in the morning, afternoon, or evening is always a better idea. Now the consistency might lack as the days roll by, so you can use music to raise the bars. Not only just music, but any sort of audio, podcasts or even radio is of great use to keep you motivated. Some people find it difficult to go out for a walk, so why not begin it right on the spot, at your home? While reading a book, talking to someone on the phone, you can always do it. So, do it regularly and keep a track of it.

Diabetes left alone without careful management can lead to the building up of sugar levels in the blood, thereby enhancing the chances of different serious complications such as various heart problems or even strokes. There are different types of diabetes and to keep it checked, one needs to manage it efficiently based on the type. Although a particularly effective cure for diabetes hasn't yet been found, keeping up with a healthy diet, and being active can prove to be very useful methods to tackle diabetes. While many might find it difficult to choose between yoga and walking, the combination of both is probably the best solution to the ongoing debates as to win the chart for being a healthier method for diabetes. People diagnosed with diabetes, are advised not to take it as a light issue, maintain their health care appointments and most importantly, self-care is a given to reduce the impact of diabetes on your day-to-day life. Also know about yoga for type 2 diabetes

Walk Exercises that Work

There are several walking exercises that get your entire body moving. Walking is also a great way for beginners to get their bodies up and moving. Walking exercise is a low-intensity activity that does not trouble your joints. It also helps you burn your calories and avoid long-term health problems like obesity, heart problems, and high blood sugar. In fact, walking fitness is one of the least minimal impact exercises that offers an impressive list of benefits.

How Can We Do Walk Exercises at Home Effectively?

The best thing about walking exercises is, you can do them in the comfort of your home. If the weather is not cooperating with your outdoor walks, you can still squeeze in your walk exercise for the day indoors.  Some people prefer to do their walking exercise at home because of a lack of walking areas nearby or busy job schedules. Fortunately, walk exercises at home are just as effective as walking outdoors.

These workout routines are designed to get your entire body moving and the blood pumping. Interestingly, walk exercises at home are time-saving and expensive as well. You can use a step tracker to find out how many steps you have covered indoors.

Who Can Do Walk Exercise?

Fitness walking is a low-impact workout that can be done by anyone without serious mobility issues. In fact, medical professionals recommend walking to their patients because of the huge list of benefits offered by this simple physical activity.

If you are a beginner, it is recommended to start at a slow pace and then speed up gradually to help your body accumulate to the new physical activity. Studies have shown that regular walking exercises can help reduce the incidence of disability in people with arthritis walking exercise in old age.

A good walking workout is designed to help your joints start moving without creating any pressure or strain. If you have serious health issues, it is good to consult with your doctor before you start to walk for fitness.

Who Should Avoid Walking Exercise?

Unless you have severe mobility issues, walking exercises at home are deemed safe in most cases. In case you are recovering from major surgery, it is a good idea to take it slow initially till you recover your health and stamina.

Since walk exercise is a low-impact cardio workout, it is often recommended by doctors. If you have severe joint issues or knee pain, talk to your Coach or Doctor before starting a walking fitness routine.

List of Best Walk Exercises

Walking exercises at home have the power to improve your health, keep several health issues at bay and also improve your mood considerably. Some of the popular walk exercises you can try out include-

1. Treadmill Workout (30 Mins)

Perform all the 6 Steps given below for 5 Minutes each.

Step 1: Warm up on the treadmill by walking for five minutes at a lower speed.

Step 2: Then increase your speed gradually and walk at around 4 mph /60 seconds, followed by 3.4 mph / 60 seconds.

Step 3: Then walk at a speed of 4.2 mph /40 seconds, followed by a speed of 3.4 mph/ 20 seconds.

Step 4: Then walk at a speed of 4.4 mph / 30 seconds, followed by a speed of 3.4 mph f/30 seconds.

Step 5: Then walk at a speed of 4.6 mph / 20 seconds, followed by a speed of 3.4 mph/ 40 seconds.

Step 6: Then walk at a speed of 3.4 mph for five minutes to cool down your body

Treadmill Workout

2. Walking Sprint (40 Mins)

Step 1: Warm up by walking for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Walk as fast as possible for the next 10 minutes.

Step 3: Then turn around and walk back to the starting point, slowing your pace as you reach the starting point.

Step 4: Then again, walk as fast as possible for the next 10 minutes walking further than the point you reached earlier.

Step 5: Turn and walk back to your starting point, slowing your pace as you reach your origin point.

Step 6: Cool down by walking at a slow pace for around 5 minutes.

3. Mega Calorie Burn Walk (60 - 70 Mins)

Step 1: Warm up by walking for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Then walk at a brisk pace for 50 - 60 minutes.

Step 3: Cool down with a slower walking pace for the last 5 minutes.

4. Belly Busting Walk (40 Mins)

Step 1: Warm up with a walk for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Start walking at a brisk pace making sure you draw in your abs and hold the position while walking for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Allow your abs to relax and continue walking for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Then again, draw in your abs and walk at a brisk pace for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Cool down with a slower pace walk for 5 minutes.

Benefits of Doing Walk Exercise

With so many walking online workouts, including this low-impact workout in your daily routine has become a simple task. Here are some of the numerous benefits of sticking to regular walking exercises:

  • Walking exercise at home burns calories and helps maintain a healthy weight.
  • It helps with weight loss.
  • Daily walk workouts help keep type 2 diabetes in check.
  • It helps improve your cardiovascular fitness.
  • It prevents many health conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
  • Walking fitness exercises help strengthen your muscles and bones.
  • It strengthens your immunity levels.
  • It helps reduce tension, stress, and anxiety.
  • Walk fitness workouts vastly improve muscle endurance.
  • It lifts your energy levels significantly.
  • Walking helps improve balance and coordination.
  • It improves memory, mood, sleep, and cognition.

Precautions to take for Walk Exercise

  • Walking fitness can have disastrous effects if you do not wear proper shoes during the workout.
  • A proper warmup and cooldown need to be done to prevent the muscles from becoming sore after the walk fitness.
  • Try to walk briskly and not at a leisurely pace in order to get all the benefits.
  • Always warm up before you start walking and cool down once you are done with the walking exercises.
  • Wear proper footwear while attempting a walking workout.
  • Remember to drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.
  • Try interval walking if you are not able to do walk fitness at a brisk pace for too long.
  • Walking with friends is a great way to make your walk for fitness more enjoyable.
  • Listening to music, audiobooks or podcasts can make the walk to fitness interesting.
  • Start walking exercises gradually rather than starting suddenly one fine day.
  • If you are walking indoors or at home, a walking fitness video will make it easier.

Is Walk At Home Effective?

Many people assume that a walk workout at home is not as effective as walking outside. Nothing could be further away from the truth. You can use walking online workouts, which are specially designed to make sure that all your muscle groups are active. These workout videos include lots of interesting movements that do not require a lot of space.

You can have the video play on your TV, laptop, or even your smartphone and follow the instructions to stay active and healthy. You no longer have to rely on the weather to go for a walk these days. A fitness walk at home is a great option for people who want to stay active but do not have access to a walking area nearby.  

Another factor is that you can go ahead with your walk exercise at any time of the day. Walk from home exercise videos are a boon to the young and old these days. These videos are created to cater to different age categories so that nobody misses out on any of the benefits offered by walking fitness workouts.

Walking at Home

What Is A Good Walking Workout?

As long as you are walking, any walk exercise is considered a good walking activity. The key is to keep moving. Walking workout for beginners is designed to start at a slow pace and then gradually pick up the pace to help their bodies acclimatise to the new routine. Just like a Pilates workout or any weight loss exercise, a good walking workout is one that helps you burn calories and stay fit.

How can I Continue Walking at Home?

The best thing about walking exercises is that you do not require any specific equipment except good footwear. One way to include fitness walking in your routine while at home is by keeping a step count as a goal. Once you have a goal in mind, you will find yourself walking additional steps inside your home to reach the target before the end of the day. When you reach your goal, stick to the same step count for a few days before increasing it around 500 to 1000 steps.

Gradually increasing the number of steps will help you reach the 10k mark. Walking ten thousand steps each day inside your own home is a great walk workout. With so many people leading sedentary lifestyles, a fitness walk routine can be a lifesaver. Walk at-home exercise videos are also a great way to stay physically fit within the comfort of your home.

How much should I Walk at Home to Lose Weight?

A lot of how you can achieve your weight management goals depend on a lot of factors like your walking pace, your current body weight, current calorie intake. In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This means that you need to burn more calories than you eat in an entire day. Once you have figured this out, you can tailor your walking sessions to help you lose weight.

Fitness walking exercises are designed to burn calories faster, just like other cardio exercises. If you want to burn more calories, you can combine your walk exercise with other workouts like a boxing workout or strength training. According to experts in the fitness industry, walking around 10000 steps a day is a great way to lose weight and stay physically active.

The faster you walk, the more benefits you reap from walking exercise at home. It is recommended to start at a slow pace initially and then slowly increase your pace as your body gets used to the physical activity. Walking is a great cardio workout that improves your heart health significantly and keeps you physically active at the same time. It also helps improve your mobility in the long run besides burning all those pesky extra calories. As time passes by, you will notice a huge improvement in your stamina and endurance., and will even be able to walk faster and longer without feeling tired or exhausted.

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Disclaimer

This website's content is provided only for educational reasons and is not meant to be a replacement for professional medical advice. Due to individual differences, the reader should contact their physician to decide whether the material is applicable to their case.