Control Blood Sugar by Walking 15 Minutes After Meals: "Even Short Activity is Effective"

Internal Medicine Specialist Highlights Benefits of Walking After Meals
Short Walks or Standing Up Post-Meal Are Helpful Even Without Long Exercise Sessions
American Diabetes Association Also Recommends “Interrupt Sitting Every 30 Minutes”

An expert analysis has gained attention, revealing that even a brief walk of about 10 to 15 minutes after a meal can help lower postprandial blood sugar levels. The findings show that not only long exercise sessions at once, but also moving briefly right after meals or interrupting long periods of sitting can be effective ways to control blood sugar.

Internal medicine specialist Taekyun Kim introduced the effects of walking after meals on his YouTube channel "Dr. Dingyo" on August 6. Dr. Kim explained research results showing that splitting walks into 10 to 15 minutes after each meal is more effective for post-meal blood sugar control than walking for 45 minutes all at once in a day.

The reason post-meal walking is effective is because it activates muscles at the point when blood sugar rises the fastest, increasing glucose consumption. In particular, walking right after eating can help muscles use glucose from the blood as an energy source instead of relying solely on insulin.

Dr. Kim specifically emphasized the importance of walking after dinner, noting that "insulin sensitivity tends to decrease in the evening and activity levels typically drop after dinner." In the study he referenced, walking 10 to 15 minutes after each meal reduced the area under the daily blood sugar curve by about 12% compared to not exercising, and in the evening, the reduction reached about 22%.

Experts have analyzed that even a short walk of about 10 to 15 minutes after a meal can help alleviate post-meal blood sugar levels. Pixabay

He also added that the optimal timing for walking may vary depending on the composition and speed of the meal. If a meal high in carbohydrates is eaten quickly, it is best to move immediately after eating. If the meal starts with protein, fat, and dietary fiber and is eaten slowly, walking within 30 minutes after a meal can also be considered.

The recommended exercise intensity is enough to make you slightly short of breath but still able to talk. It is not necessary to exercise for over 30 minutes at once. Dr. Kim explained, "Recently, this approach of performing several short bouts of exercise throughout the day is called an 'exercise snack.'"

The effectiveness of short bouts of exercise has also been confirmed in actual research. A recent study from San Diego State University in the United States involved 31 healthy adults with an average age of 23.7, conducting repeated stair climbing after meals. The results showed that those who performed short stair exercises experienced a smaller increase in blood sugar up to 30 minutes after eating compared to those who remained seated.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) also recommends reducing the time spent sitting for long periods. In its 2026 clinical guidelines, the ADA advised interrupting sitting every 30 minutes for light walking or simple resistance exercises to help manage blood sugar and other health outcomes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.