Dublin, September 10 (QNA) - A new study reveals that taking a two-minute walk after eating could help lowering blood sugar levels.
Researchers analyzed seven previous studies comparing the impact of sitting, standing and walking on insulin and blood sugar levels.
Participants of the study were asked to either stand or walk about 2 to 5 minutes every 20 or 30 minutes over the course of a day.
When compared to prolonged sitting, the research team found that intermittent light walks throughout the day, even for two minutes, resulted in a reduction in blood glucose by an average of 17.01 percent.
Also, the study noted that intermittent standing throughout the day, especially after meals, reduces glucose by 9.51 percent on average.
Doctoral student in the physical education and sport sciences department at the University of Limerick in Ireland and co-author of the study Aidan Buffey, says that this suggests that breaking prolonged sitting with standing and light-walking breaks throughout the day is beneficial for glucose levels.
He added that blood sugar levels tend to spike within 60 to 90 minutes after a meal, making it advisable to engage in physical activity shortly after eating to mitigate these fluctuations.
More so, numerous previous studies have shown that walking after eating can reduce blood cholesterol levels, protect against heart disease, stroke, even sometimes cancer, help strengthen bones, improve brain health, ward off dementia and depression, and help with healthy weight loss. (QNA)