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Cardio & conditioning

10-minute walk and move after meals

In people with type 2 diabetes, a 10-minute walk after each main meal lowered blood sugar after eating more than one longer walk a day, especially after the evening meal. Simple standing moves such as half squats, calf raises and knee lifts did the same in a sitting study. Start soon after you finish eating. Do it after your main meal, or after every meal, as well as your weekly walking and strength sessions, not instead of them. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea such as gliclazide, read the tips first.

10 minBeginner6 movesCardio machine · A bench or box · A wallQuads · Calves · Glutes · Hip flexors · Chest · Triceps
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Walk

  1. Treadmill walking5 min
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoStart soon after you finish eating, within about 15 to 30 minutes. Walk outdoors, round the house or on a treadmill at an easy, steady pace: you can talk in full sentencesHarder: Treadmill jogging

Move

  1. Sit to stand from a chair10 reps
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoSlow and controlled. Steady on your feet? Half squats without the chair work tooHarder: Bodyweight squat
  2. Slow calf raise15 reps
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoA hand on a counter or wallEasier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Harder: Standing dumbbell calf raise
  3. Standing march45 s
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoLift the knees as high as is comfortable; hold the counter if you feel unsteadyHarder: Standing band hip flexion
  4. Wall push-up10 reps
    Beginner · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoHarder: Push-up
  5. Side-stepping (sideways walking)10 steps each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoAlong a kitchen counter, a hand resting on itHarder: Lateral band walk

Walk to finish

  1. Treadmill walking2 min
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoEasy paceHarder: Treadmill jogging

Tips

  • Sooner is better: in trials, walking after a meal lowered the rise in blood sugar and walking before it didn't. If you do it once a day, make it after your largest meal, often the evening meal.
  • This adds to about 150 minutes a week of walking or other activity and strength training on 2 to 3 days; it doesn't replace them. On days you have longer, the low-impact cardio workout is the full session.
  • If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea such as gliclazide, check your blood sugar before and after, and carry something sugary. Metformin, GLP-1 injections and SGLT2 tablets on their own don't usually cause hypos. Never change a medicine yourself: talk to your diabetes team.
  • With numb feet, wear well-fitting shoes for the walk and check your feet afterwards. With a foot ulcer or sore, do it seated: seated march 2 minutes, seated knee extensions 10 each leg, seated calf raises 20, then seated march 2 minutes.
  • Rainy day: march on the spot for the walking blocks.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

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Questions people ask

How long does the 10-minute walk and move after meals take?

About 10 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A bench or box, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 1 of its 6 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.