What’s a ‘fart walk’? How this trendy exercise can help digestion

Does this trend pass the smell test?

Mairlyn Smith, a Toronto-based cookbook author and self-proclaimed “Queen of Fiber,” claims a post-meal “fart walk” could be the solution to your digestive issues. She coined the concept after setting out on a stroll with her husband for an hour after mealtime — and letting it rip.

Smith recalls that her now-viral marital routine of release started a decade ago as a simple post-supper walkabout, “It all began 10 years ago… I suggested to my husband that we go for a walk after dinner. When you eat as much fiber as we do, you can get gassy. We walked…cue the farts, and the legendary #Fartwalk was born.”

In addition to trending on social media, Smith’s cheek-squeaking ritual has garnered applause from GI docs and medical professionals who say the practice is great for gut health.

It’s well-established that exercise can aid digestion. Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone, explains to SELF, “When you are moving, your GI tract is also moving. This helps trigger gut motility, or movement of your intestines, which is essential for properly breaking down food.”

Accelerated digestion can also help alleviate heartburn, acid reflux and bloating.

Recent studies show that mild movement, like walking, may trigger a nerve reflex that helps propel foods and gas contents through the gut. Walking also engages the abdominal muscles, creating internal pressure on the colon that helps to push intestinal gas out.

Researchers in Iran have identified the ideal posture for the famed fart walk — hands clasped behind the back and neck flexed forward. This positioning decreases the amount of air swallowed and leads to more internal abdominal pressure, allowing for a more gentle squeezing out of gas from the colon.

Smith claims her flatulence fad guards against the development of Type 2 diabetes and experts seem to agree.

A study in the journal Nutrients found that walking after eating helps stabilize blood sugar levels — repeated spikes in blood sugar over a sustained period can lead to insulin resistance, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Among the glorious virtues of a fart walk is that it need not be long to be beneficial. A 2021 study found as little as 10 minutes of movement can help alleviate bloating.

And there’s no need to go hard when you’re out for your stale wind stroll. A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology found that digestion increased significantly during moderate walking but decreased during running.

It’s a fart walk, not a stink sprint.

Smith echoes the sentiment, “It’s these little things you do on a regular basis that can have a long-term health [benefit]. So saddle yourself up for a fart walk.”