How long after a meal is the appropriate time to do aerobic exercise?

For ordinary healthy people to do low-to-medium-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking and jogging, starting about an hour after a meal is the most universal choice. It will not cause additional burden on the gastrointestinal tract, but can also stagger the post-meal blood sugar peak, and the fat burning efficiency is also online.

In fact, this question has been debated in the fitness circle for several years, but there is no unified answer. Some people say that you can exercise half an hour after a meal, while others say that you must wait for 2 hours or it will hurt your stomach. In fact, both sides are correct, but the applicable scenarios are different. I had a dinner with friends for hot pot a while ago. I showed off almost two pounds of fat beef and drank two large cups of iced milk tea. My belly was so full that I couldn't even fasten the waistband of my sports pants. I had to wait for two and a half hours that day before I dared to ride a spinning bike. I didn't dare to add any resistance during the whole process, so I pedaled slowly for 40 minutes. I didn't feel any discomfort at all. If I only had a small bowl of oatmeal porridge and boiled vegetables for dinner, I would dare to go for a walk with my bag 20 minutes after the meal, and I could even walk 5 kilometers without losing breath.

When I checked the information related to exercise physiology, I also found that in the early years, the academic community was indeed more inclined to the idea of ​​"resting after a meal". It was believed that the blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract increased sharply after eating. At this time, exercise diverts blood supply to the muscles, which affects digestion and drags down exercise performance. However, in recent years, many new studies have also overturned some of the conclusions - if you only do very low-intensity activities such as slow walking, it will not compete with blood supply, but can promote gastrointestinal motility and help suppress the spike in blood sugar after a meal. It is especially suitable for people with high blood sugar.

Just like many colleagues in our office, after finishing the one-vegetarian rice set in the canteen at noon, they didn't feel full. They took 20 minutes during lunch break to go downstairs and walk around the campus twice. Not only did they not suffer from stomach discomfort when they came back, they didn't feel sleepy at work in the afternoon, and no one suffered from gastroptosis. When it comes to the risk of gastroptosis, it can only be caused by strenuous running and jumping immediately after long-term overeating. There is no need to worry about taking an occasional walk after a meal.

Of course, there are exceptions. For those who have chronic gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux, don’t stick to the general standards. It is best to wait 2 hours after a meal before moving. Otherwise, stomach acid will flow upward and cause burning and pain in the esophagus. If you plan to do high-intensity aerobics such as boxing exercises, interval running, and long-distance training, no matter how good your digestive function is, it is best to wait for more than 2 hours. Otherwise, the contents of your stomach will be swaying around while running, and it will be really embarrassing if you vomit in public without saying anything, and the pain will make you unable to straighten your back.

To put it bluntly, there is no need to waste time on this matter. Your own body feeling is more accurate than any unified standard. If you feel your stomach is still bloated after eating, just sit for a while before moving. If there is no burden, it will be okay to move early.