Doctors say the ‘fart walk’ trend could help you live longer

When cookbook author and influencer Marilyn Smith discussed “fart walking” on her Instagram, she couldn’t have expected the concept to blow up as it did. Social media is abound with several posts with, "#fartwalk join in on the trend of taking a walk after dinner in order to better release intestinal gas and aid in digestion." While this crude method is a jokey trend, doctors are saying that fart walking can actually improve your life.

According to Dr. Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine physician at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, fart walking does more than just help you better digest your meals. In an Instagram reel, Dr. Tiutan states that going on a five to ten minute walk after eating can help prevent blood sugar from spiking, thus lowering the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

There are additional health benefits. Fart walking can also lower the risk of developing certain cancers. Some even say that it could lower the risk of dementia, too.

While “fart walk” is a current trend, the actual post-dinner stroll isn’t. Italians have done the after dinner la passeggiata evening walks around town since the Renaissance. Indian culture also promotes shatapawali strolls after an evening meal. Centuries before that, a Chinese proverb was written that said, “If you take 100 steps after each meal, you’ll live to 99.” And, yes, in the end, all of these cultures were promoting you to walk after meals so you can digest and fart better.

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While this does sound gross and immature, fart walking isn’t the only rude activity that can benefit you. Openly swearing is an example. There is research that shows that a well-placed f-bomb can help you regulate emotions, work out harder in the gym, and even boost pain tolerance on a physical level. Depending on the setting and situation, casual swearing can also create opportunities for certain communities to bond together since the taboo has been broken and can signal to folks that they can lower their guard safely.

In terms of physical health, as disgusting as it sounds, picking your nose and even eating your boogers could provide some health benefits. While there are certain obvious downsides to nose-picking and no one is recommending you make a meal of it, consuming mucus and boogers could help boost your immune system through additional exposure to certain pathogens. On top of that, salivary mucins within mucus can form a barrier on your teeth which can prevent bacteria that causes cavities.

Pictured: A healthy practice.Photo credit: Canva

While we’re on the subject of saliva, it turns out that the parental instinct to wipe off and clean faces and items with spit has some scientific backing. Human saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that can effectively break down starches, making it an effective cleaning agent if you run out of cleaning spray.

While fart walking, booger eating, and spit cleaning while you swear up a storm might have some health benefits, it might not be the best to do them all at the same time in public if you want any friends. That said, indulging in these habits, especially fart walking, could help extend your life. Just be sure to practice these things discreetly.