How long after a meal can I do strength training

After eating, many people will stand up and exercise by walking immediately because they have just eaten and their gastrointestinal function has not yet completely digested the food. But in fact, this is very bad for the body. For example, you can exercise more after a few hours after eating, because the body is still in the process of digestion after just eating, and too intense exercise may cause indigestion.

What are the benefits of exercising after a meal?

Relaxing exercises after meals, such as walking, can relieve fatigue to a certain extent. Mild exercise can speed up blood circulation throughout the body, increase blood flow to the brain, help nourish nerves and relieve tension. The increase in the amount of blood returning to the heart helps promote myocardial contraction, increase ejection fraction, and improve heart function. Appropriate aerobic exercise can improve the respiratory system, including the conditioning of chronic respiratory diseases.

Moderate exercise can also maintain joint mobility, prevent joint stiffness, and provide adequate exercise to the skeletal muscles of the lower limbs. Appropriate but not strenuous exercise after meals can also help the movement of food in the gastrointestinal tract and aid digestion.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that walking a hundred steps after a meal can help you live to 99. After all, there are many other factors that can affect our health. However, moderate exercise after a meal is still good for the body.

The timing of exercising after a meal is important

In fact, theoretically speaking, the food in the stomach will be completely emptied about 4 hours after a meal. If you strictly follow the standard, it may not be realistic.

Therefore, we can look at the issue of exercise after meals in layers.

For some less intense exercises, such as walking, Tai Chi, square dancing, etc., you can start them half an hour to an hour after a meal.

For some moderate-intensity exercises, such as cycling, jogging, swimming, etc., they can be started 1-2 hours after a meal.

For those strenuous sports, such as sprinting, football, fighting, etc., it is recommended not to do them after a meal. You should wait at least 3-4 hours after a meal before considering it.

Of course, not recommending exercise after meals does not mean recommending exercise on an empty stomach before meals. Exercising on an empty stomach is also not advisable. Exercising on an empty stomach may cause hypoglycemia or even fainting, so you must be cautious.