October Challenge - Walk after Eating

[CBDB]

And here is our new October challenge to try out on our walks!

★★★ Walk after a meal! ★★★

Well, I had chosen this subject matter before I pulled my left calf muscle, so I can only walk with everyone in spirit but also reminisce about the many after-dinner walks my family have had over the year.

For some reason, I have - in recent years - fallen out of love with walking after meals. Well, my left calf has completely fallen out of love with walking, having experienced a pulled calf at least once per year, and always triggered by a walk!

But this chapter reminded me of my family, who, on every Christmas, after the rich Christmas dinner, would head out onto the hills behind the house to walk the meal off.

I remember dark rainy nights, windy, dry ones, and so many walks in the snow. Slushy snow at times, at others beautiful winter wonderlands, with fluffy crystals falling into our thick gloves.

Walking after the yearly Christmas meal is, for me, the preeminent memory of walking after a meal.

The chapter “Walk after Eating” in Annabel Street’s book reminded me of all the science that evidenced what I felt on those winter walks: that if you can do a walk or stroll or saunter after any meal, it can only be good for you.

This gentle exercise helps food travel smoothly through our digestive system and lowers blood-glucose levels. Just 10 minutes have a positive effect. The effect is so large that it can help manage type 2 diabetes conditions and reduce the need for insulin injections.

I don’t know why I didn’t take this habit into the rest of the year. It’s a perfect time to take your partner and stroll around your neighbourhood. And Street suggests that knowing she would go for a walk after a meal allowed her to also refrain from picking over the leftovers. Win-Win!

And of course, sleep is improved as well.

Her tips are as follows:

★ If you feel too uncomfortable after a meal, wait a few minutes more.

★ These walks do not need an active stride. They can be a stroll or a slow amble. A promenade.

★ It helps to pay attention to posture, lifting up from the hips. No slouching or slumping.

So how about it? Will you try and

★★★ walk after a meal! ★★★

And for your reference, our prior THEMED CHALLENGES ARE:

★ January Challenge - Walk in the Cold healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ February Challenge - Take a 12-min walk healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ March Challenge - Take a City Smell Walk healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ April Challenge -Walk with your Ears healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ May Challenge - Follow a River healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ June Challenge - Walk with a Map healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ July Challenge - Sing as you Stride healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ August Challenge - walk like a nomad and breathe in rhythm to your stride healthunlocked.com/active10...

★ September Challenge - Take a Foraging Walk healthunlocked.com/active10...

[Annieapple A30min a day]

🍏This challenge brings back SO many memories for me too especially the walks after Christmas dinner. It seems such a natural thing to do.. it’s wonderful when science proves our gut instinct (no pun intended 🤣 ) right! Certainly going to be more mindful of walking after meals while on holiday & encouraging others to come along side me too. Thank you!

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Annieapple]

🥾🎄🏔️🌨️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👦🚶‍♀️🚶🏼🚶🏿‍♂️

[Annieapple A30min a day in reply to CBDB]

🤗🤣

[Huawei1]

I'd like to start doing this , but not sure I have the motivation ? I'm 64, with osteoarthritis, borderline diabetes and asthma , I'm really struggling at the moment with diet and exercise , Any tips ?

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Huawei1]

If you haven’t downloaded the Active10 App yet, it’s a great place to start!

nhs.uk/better-health/get-ac...

It allows you to set a target like reaching 1 set of 10 minutes active walking per day. And it helps towards reaching a goal of three times 10 min active walking periods per day.

There are badges for keeping the work up.

And of course you can use our monthly challenges to reach those 10 min of active walking.

Hope this helps just a little bit? Posting here also helps with keeping it up!

Happy walking.

Active10 App

[Wine 1000miles per year in reply to CBDB]

Have you set up any active 10 badges on the forum for each section of the active 10 app... I worked really hard and have completed all the badges sometimes not realising how I did it

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Wine]

The app badges at the moment only exist in the app, as they are multi-dimensional. The app is probably the best place for these.

So not sure about badges on these forums. I’ve played with the idea of having “distances walked in one go” badges. But not sure?

Any ideas? (We are not able to award multiple badges, so it has to be a simple progression)

[Wine 1000miles per year in reply to CBDB]

what about 1k,2k,5k and 10k for walking distance and 10b, 20b,30b,60b,90b and 150b,,,,b standing for brisk minutes.....the app records brisk minutes so that should be straight forward and the badge would be awarded when the time or walk has been done over a period of time at least x times a week for example....or we could award graduate bronze silver gold and platinum badges for different parts of walking so graduate to complete all badges,,,bronze for a months worth of brisk walking plus distance etc increasing for each badge

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Wine]

That’s a really great idea. I had set up the following badges (see attached pic) which are very similar to your suggestion. So I’ll have a look what we did in the past to see how we can slot some more badges in there.

I’ll plan a post then as well, announcing it, in case we haven’t yet. Might take me a bit, but it’s a great idea.

Current badges

[Wine 1000miles per year in reply to CBDB]

This is brilliant can't wait to work for them... Fantastic thank you ❤️

[Sharmian350 in reply to CBDB]

Love this❤️

[Wine 1000miles per year]

Yes I will.... Its sounds like it will help with my weight loss 😁

[Wine 1000miles per year in reply to Wine]

I have done this for at least one of my meals daily and i have done it fir all three.... This is a great challenge... Thank you for posting

[Sharmian350]

I always feel so tired after lunch. I just want to sleep! How do people manage it?

Can I walk to food instead? Like walking to the supermarket instead of getting the bus or tube? Or have a coffee at the end of a walk?

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Sharmian350]

🤣 Great idea! 👍🏽

[Nuttynanny1]

Your post reminded me of walking with my dad in all weather's after Sunday dinners, and now I have been doing them for longer periods every other day forthright months. I also injure myself and hate waiting to get out again. I've fprequently failed to warm up and cool downp properly in the past and I try to address this before and after now. I wish you a speedy recovery and something to enjoy while you heal. Maybe do an article like your post for a magazine. Send the message to people to relax with brisk walks, when contemplating Christmas shopping. Carrying bags will improve their fitness and mental health. You might earn while you rest too. Anyway, thanks to your inspiration, I will get out there. Hoping you are able to enjoy the same again before long.

[CBDB Administrator in reply to Nuttynanny1]

Thank you so much! I have recovered and am back to running and walking, again.

So good to hear from someone who regularly walks after meals, I still feel much better when walking in an empty stomach. E.g. the challenge of walking fasted the month after was much easier to maintain. See Walk Hungry at healthunlocked.com/active10...

Happy walking! And so many thanks for posting!