®Do it along with a timer
Finished eating? Go for a walk
Choose the meal and the duration, then press Start. Walk at a comfortable pace at which you can talk; if you cannot go outside, walking around the house or on the spot is fine too. You will hear a short beep every minute.
Meal
Duration
Today
Ready
When you have finished eating, press Start.
Which meals you walked after is stored only on this device; it is not sent anywhere.
Why does it work?
Blood sugar rises after a meal. Because working muscles use sugar from the blood, a short walk at this time reduces the rise and makes blood sugar go up and down more gently. In an analysis combining seven studies, standing was also better than sitting, but only light walking lowered both blood sugar and insulin.
To make it a habit
- Link the walk to a meal: start with your evening meal first.
- Walk with someone close to you; chatting makes the time pass faster.
- If the weather is bad, walk around the house, along a corridor or on the spot.
- Keep this page open on your phone next to the dining table.
Frequently asked questions
Who is it for?
The strongest data come from people with type 2 diabetes: in a study of 41 adults with type 2 diabetes in New Zealand, walking for 10 minutes after each main meal lowered blood sugar after meals by an average of 12% more than walking for the same total time in one 30-minute walk a day, and by 22% more after the evening meal. In an analysis combining seven studies, a few minutes of light walking after eating lowered blood sugar and insulin even in people who mostly did not have diabetes.
How soon after eating should I walk?
Starting shortly after you finish eating is a good habit. According to the authors of the analysis, blood sugar usually peaks 60–90 minutes after a meal; movement done before this peak gives the best result.
How much walking is enough?
The study used a 10-minute walk after each meal. Short, light walks of 2–5 minutes after eating were also seen to lower blood sugar; standing was better than sitting too, but not as effective as walking. If you are short of time, even a short walk is better than none.
Does it replace my daily exercise?
It is not enough on its own, but it contributes. The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week and muscle strengthening on at least 2 days a week, and stresses that every move counts. The American Diabetes Association also recommends that people with diabetes, alongside regular exercise, break up long periods of sitting every 30 minutes with a few minutes of light activity.
What if I use insulin or diabetes medicine?
If you use insulin or certain diabetes tablets such as gliclazide, exercise can lower your blood sugar. Because your dose may need to be reduced once you start walking regularly, discuss your plan with your diabetes team. If you check your blood sugar, check it before, during and after your walk; always carry a fast-acting sugar with you. Stop and take some sugar if you have signs of low blood sugar such as sweating, shaking, dizziness, hunger or a pounding heart.
To set your steps to a pace, you can use the brisk walking metronome; to see how long you sit during the day, the sitting time calculator; and for muscle strengthening, the home strength circuit.
Sources
- Reynolds AN, Mann JI, Williams S, Venn BJ. Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study. Diabetologia. 2016;59(12):2572–2578. Haber: HCPLive.
- Buffey AJ, Herring MP, Langley CK, et al. The acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting time in adults with standing and light-intensity walking on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022;52:1765–1787. Haber: MDedge, 11 August 2022.
- Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Yardley JE, et al. Physical activity/exercise and diabetes: a position statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(11):2065–2079. Haber: AJMC.
- Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(24):1451–1462.
- Know Diabetes (NHS West and North London). Exercise and staying safe.
- NHS 111 Wales. Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Updated 6 June 2025.