Sitting, lying down, or walking, which is the correct posture after a meal?

Netizen question: Many people say that after a meal is a good time to maintain health. Some people say "walk a hundred steps after a meal and live to be ninety-nine", while others say that you should not exercise after a meal and it is best to sit or lie down and rest.

So the question is, which is the best posture after a meal?

It is generally believed that it is best to keep the body upright (stand or sit upright) within 20 minutes after a meal, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and aid digestion.

Why is it not recommended to take a walk after a meal?

In fact, taking a short walk after a meal can help soothe your mood and promote digestion, which is good. But walking after a meal here does not mean that you should take a walk right after you are full, but you should wait 20 to 30 minutes before walking.

Because the stomach is full right after a meal, blood often needs to flow to the gastrointestinal tract for initial digestion. If you are eager to get up and exercise, blood will be concentrated in the limbs, and gastrointestinal activity will be delayed, which can easily lead to indigestion.

Since walking affects digestion, why not just lie down instead of walking?

Of course not. When you have just finished a meal, the stomach is full of food and the digestive function is in motion. Lying flat at this time will affect gastrointestinal motility and is not conducive to food digestion and absorption.

In addition, lying down immediately after a meal will increase the pressure in the stomach, leading to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which makes you more likely to suffer from chronic stomach problems in the long run.

All in all, just sit up and rest after a meal, and don't do anything else.

If you feel bloated after a full meal, you can massage your abdomen appropriately. This can promote gastrointestinal motility, enhance the digestion, absorption and excretion of food, and relieve bloating and discomfort, but you must pay attention to the intensity, otherwise it will be counterproductive.

Specific method:

Touch the abdomen with your palms, and massage in a clockwise direction with the navel as the center. The force should be moderate, from light to heavy, until you feel a slight warmth in the abdomen.

When there is a purulent infection on the abdominal skin or acute inflammation in the abdomen (such as enteritis, dysentery, appendicitis, etc.), it is not advisable to massage the abdomen to avoid the spread of inflammation.