Health Preservation: Sit after lunch, walk after dinner
It is often said to walk after a meal, but there are exceptions. Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes that sitting quietly for about a quarter of an hour between 11 AM and 1 PM after lunch is highly beneficial for health. According to TCM, the circulation of Qi and blood in the morning belongs to Yang energy. At noon, Yin begins to generate, which is when the Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin is at its most active, the time to nourish the heart. Sitting quietly for a moment at noon is greatly beneficial for the heart, ensuring energy and vitality for the afternoon and evening, and also helps to promote blood circulation, indirectly playing a role in nourishing the spirit, Qi, and muscles.
After dinner, rest first, then walk
In addition, walking after dinner is also very meaningful. After a busy day, a walk after dinner to relax is very good for the body, but the habit of getting up and walking right after putting down your chopsticks is not advisable. This is because the food consumed needs to stay in the stomach for a period of time to mix calmly with gastric juice that aids digestion and absorption before slowly being expelled from the stomach into the duodenum. Walking immediately after eating will undoubtedly add many unnecessary stress factors to the stomach, disrupting its normal working process.
Proper post-meal rest is beneficial to the body
Only by resting for 10-15 minutes after a meal before starting to walk can one achieve a health-preserving effect. Depending on individual physical condition, the duration of walking after a meal can be chosen from 10-30 minutes. Those who are weak, elderly, or frail can walk less to avoid fatigue and reduce the burden on the heart. People who are usually sedentary, overweight, have indigestion, or poor appetite are more suited to walk more. In conclusion, "Sit after lunch, walk after dinner," and long-term adherence will surely be beneficial to health.