(Devanagari Sanskrit: शतपावली) is a Marathi term which refers to an age-long Indian custom of taking a stroll after a meal. The word is a dvigu compound from "hundred" and "step", which literally means "walking 100 steps" after a meal.
Experts believe that walking at least 100 steps after eating your dinner / lunch improves your overall wellbeing. This includes proper digestion, burning calories, better control of blood sugar levels and triglycerides in the body.
Here is how a 15-minute walk after meals can transform your health and prevent various health complications.
The process of digestion is initiated soon after a person has consumed his meals. The gastric juices and enzymes responsible for digestion are stimulated in the meantime. However, if a person walks after eating his dinner, the process of gastric emptying of the meal is accelerated leading to better digestion. This in turn, prevents various stomach complications such as acidity or indigestion that is usually warranted after having meals.
Apart from caloric intake and pattern of eating, leading an active physical life is one of the key reasons to boost metabolism. Hence, people are advised to go for a walk after having their dinner as it stimulates the metabolic process and influences the functioning of other organs in the body.
The habit of going to bed after having dinner is definitely not good for health. However, a few minutes of walking in the lawn or in your house can do wonders to your health. It not only improves the blood circulation in the body but also relieves stress. This is the reason, why people walking around 100 steps after dinner enjoy a good night's sleep.
A 15-minute walk after eating your dinner not only lowers blood levels of fat (triglycerides and cholesterol) but also enhances blood circulation to various parts of the body. This is mainly due to the fact that walking ensures proper supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart which in turn causes better blood circulation.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes are benefitted by regularly walking after having their meals. After eating dinner the blood sugar levels spike up due to breakdown of food components. But when you walk after having dinner, the body is physically active which uses the excess glucose present in the blood thereby controlling sugar levels.
As a 15-minute walk after dinner is a must to lead a healthy life, it plays a key role in weight loss. It is one of the most effective and simple ways to maintain a healthy weight as walking not only burns calories but also improves your overall health.