How long after eating can I exercise

We all know that we should not do some strenuous exercise after eating. We can promote digestion through some better methods such as walking. If you want to do some strenuous exercise, you should wait two hours after eating. Because if you exercise immediately after eating, it will cause violent reactions in the stomach and intestines, which will not only cause nausea and vomiting, but also affect blood circulation. Let's take a look at this aspect.

How long after a meal can you exercise?

It is best to wait 2 hours before strenuous exercise. Exercise after meals should mainly consist of sitting still or doing simple housework, and never engage in strenuous exercise. It is not advisable to run or exercise directly after a meal, as it will irritate the stomach and intestines, causing nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and other uncomfortable symptoms. At the same time, after eating, the body's digestive system needs a lot of blood to help digest food and absorb nutrients. If you exercise immediately, your body muscles will also need a lot of blood to participate. The blood supplies the digestive system and muscle tissue at the same time, which can easily lead to digestive dysfunction and indigestion, and also affect the effect of exercise.

Do not engage in strenuous exercise immediately after a meal

Exercise requires a large amount of blood to increase oxygen content, but after a meal is the peak period of digestion and gastrointestinal movement. If you exercise immediately after a meal, more blood will flow to the exercising muscles and bones, causing the gastrointestinal digestion process to be obstructed. The direct manifestation is abdominal bloating and pain.

Over time, this bad living habit will easily cause more gastrointestinal diseases. For example, common stomach diseases, appendicitis, etc. Once gastrointestinal diseases occur, they will accompany your body for the rest of your life. You need to be careful with every meal you eat. If you are not careful, you will suffer a lot. It is really uncomfortable. So while exercise is important, you must also be cautious and be kind to your stomach.

Exercise after a meal should be chosen according to digestion time

In terms of exercise intensity, light exercises such as walking, pacing, square dancing, and Tai Chi can be performed half an hour to an hour after a meal. Moderate exercise such as jogging, weight loss exercises, and cycling can be done one to two hours after a meal. High-intensity sports such as long-distance running, skipping rope, playing football, and playing basketball should be performed two to three hours after a meal.

In terms of meal size, if you eat a large amount before exercise and the food you eat is mainly protein and fat, which are difficult to digest, it is best to exercise more than two hours after the meal. If the meal size is small and the food is mainly carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits or liquid food, the interval between eating and exercise can be relatively shortened according to the intensity of exercise.