From feast to ‘fart walk’: The holiday hack everyone’s talking about

Thanksgiving brings together families, friends, and, of course, plenty of food!

For those feeling uncomfortably full after the feast, a viral social media hack dubbed the “fart walk” offers sweet relief.

A fart walk is exactly what it sounds like: a walk outside to relieve gas after eating a large meal.

The term was first used by 70-year-old cookbook author Mairlyn Smith on social media, who would talk about walking after dinner to pass gas, according to a post by UW Medicine.

@mairlynthequeenoffibre The #fartwalk lady is me. I’m mostly on instagram as Mairlyn Smith so I didn’t know i was that cool over here 😂 #fartwalk #fartwalker #farts ##hearthealthy #guthealthy #diabetesawareness #agingwell #aging ♬ original sound – mairlynthequeenoffibre

People then started posting their own #fartwalk videos. Even The Washington Post joined in.

“A fart walk is a gastroenterologist-approved method for reducing bloating after eating,” the media outlet wrote in its Instagram post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

UW Medicine noted different cultures have been taking walks after dinner for centuries. For example, Italians call it la passeggiata, and China has an ancient proverb stating that those who take 100 steps after a meal will live to be 99.

Benefits of ‘fart walks’

Dr. Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at UW Medical Center, said moving around helps digestion.

“Moving your body will help stimulate and open up your bowels,” he told UW Medicine. “Whether or not you’d rather pass the gas while you’re outdoors or inside or exercising or not, that is your prerogative.”

Walking helps the stomach empty more quickly, mitigates bloating, and can help reduce acid reflux.

To get the most out of a fart walk, UW Medicine recommends getting outside within an hour of eating.

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.