Surprising health benefits of gross after-dinner trend sweeping TikTok

A new health trend that some think is pretty gross has taken off on social media — with the science behind the viral act revealed.

Forget contrast therapy and fire-burning rituals — the latest health and wellness trend embraces the simple joys of letting loose on an evening stroll.

Coined by Canadian cookbook author Mairlyn Smith, the so-called “fart walk” could just be the low-effort longevity secret you’ve been looking for, the New York Post reports.

“Going for a fart walk after dinner is something that is going to help you age wonderfully,” Smith said in a TikTok, sharing that she and her husband typically go on 60-minute fart walks after dinner.

While they undoubtedly do this to keep the romance alive, the primary goal of this flatulent fitness routine is to aid digestion and ward off serious diseases.

“We eat a lot of fibre, so we have gas — everybody does — so you fart when you walk,” Smith explained.

“But the main reason we do the fart walks is by walking for as little as two minutes... we are helping reduce our chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

Dr Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine doctor at NYC’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, backs her backside regimen.

“I totally support fart walks,” he said in an Instagram video.

“Walking after meals does promote intestinal motility — or movement of our intestines — to get rid of gas and prevent constipation.

“Another benefit of exercise is not only preventing large spikes in blood sugar or even making us more sensitive to insulin for up to 24 hours, but it also lowers our cancer risk.”

Unrecognisable muscular man running or walking on track field, low angle view of his running shoes.

Fart walks are good for your health. Photo: Instagram

While more research is needed on fart walks specifically, plenty of studies indicate that moderate physical activity — which includes walking — can significantly slash the risk of premature death.

Around 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week is recommended to lower your risk of chronic diseases like cancer.

But if that sounds like a lot and you’re looking for immediate relief more so than long-term protection, you’ll be pleased to know a 2021 study found that as little as 10 minutes of daily movement can help alleviate bloating.

And another study found that a simple stroll was even better for digestion than running.

If you’re all about good form, researchers in Iran have even pinpointed the ideal posture for fart walks — hands clasped behind the back and head slightly bent forward.

This position helps reduce the amount of air you swallow and increases pressure in the abdomen, which gently encourages trapped gas to move through the digestive system more smoothly.

Social media users have embraced the ‘fart walk’. Picture: TikTok/@sullivang_

Many are posting about the purported benefits. Picture: TikTok/britt_perrine

Gas is a normal by-product of digestion, especially when you’re eating high-fibre foods like beans, veggies and whole grains.

These foods feed your gut microbiome, which in turn releases gases as they do their job.

If you don’t move after a meal? That gas can sit there like a time bomb, causing cramping, bloating and mood-crushing discomfort.

Fart walks could be the answer to get things moving southbound before any nasty side-effects.

So, next time you eat dinner, lace up your shoes and let it rip.

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

Originally published as Surprising health benefits of gross after-dinner trend sweeping TikTok