- “Sitting eating is as harmful as smoking”
Taking a light walk within an hour and a half following a meal reduces blood sugar
U.S. study says walking for just a few minutes is effective
| [123RF] |
[헤럴드경제=육성연 기자] #After having lunch, sitting in a cafe, drinking coffee, I go to work in the followingnoon. On weekends, I eat, sit on the sofa and watch TV.
Although it is an ordinary daily life, there are common habits that need to be corrected immediately. It’s just ‘sitting following eating’. The Mayo Clinic, a prestigious US hospital with a world-renowned reputation, warned that smoking is as detrimental as smoking can lead to premature death.
“It’s as harmful as smoking”… Sitting following a meal that causes various diseases
 |
| Sitting still following eating has a detrimental effect on blood sugar control.[123RF] |
“Long sedentary habits can lead to serious health problems and can even promote premature death from cardiovascular disease,” said James Levin, PhD, Mayo Clinic, on the Mayo Clinic site.
In Dr. James’s study, those who sat for more than four hours a day watching TV had an 80% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who sat for less than two hours a day. It is analyzed that if you do not move following a meal, the decomposition process of fat and sugar stops.
After a meal, ‘becoming one with the chair’ can be considered a comfortable rest, but the comparison with smoking is not an exaggeration. In fact, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, for every hour of sitting and watching television, life expectancy decreases by 22 minutes.
In addition, in a paper published in the international academic journal Lancet (2016), the Institute for Health Analysis and Evaluation (IHME) of the University of Washington in the United States pointed out that ‘blood sugar’ was the number one factor (8.16%) influencing the reduction of healthy lifespan. This is the result ahead of ‘Tobacco’ in second place. The research institute explained that the sugar and fat remaining in the blood vessels might not be used properly and might cause various diseases as they float around in the blood.
An official of the Korean Diabetes Association in Korea said, “If hyperglycemia outside the normal range continues, it not only progresses to diabetes, but also increases the risk of comorbidities such as dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease, so daily management is important.”
Walk for a few minutes following eating… Sitting down breaks down fat and sugar ‘STOP’
 |
| [123RF] |
Given the seriousness of the problem, the solution may not be too difficult. Another study found that walking for just a few minutes following a meal can help control blood sugar.
According to a study by the University of Limerick, Ireland, published in the journal Sports Medicine (2022), if we take a short walk of 5 to 10 minutes following eating, our muscles require the energy needed to walk, and in this process, It has been shown to be effective in regulating blood sugar levels. The best time for a light walk is within an hour and a half following eating. If there is no space to walk freely, you can stand, walk in place, or use an indoor bicycle.
An official from the Korean Diabetes Association said, “Regular aerobic exercise, including walking, is effective in preventing diabetes, and in diabetic patients, it helps to control blood sugar, manage weight, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
