Just Do It

Hazard when walking the dog in Foster City: coyotes

After breakfast I go over to my son's place to walk his dog. It's a win-win: my son has more time to get ready for work, the dog can tend to his business, and I get to spend 30-45 minutes in the Peninsula sunshine.

Walking, as has been known for many years, confers health benefits, especially for the Social Security crowd who can't run anymore (c'est moi). Among these benefits is one that's not mentioned in polite company: the freedom to relieve flatulence.

It began as a joke on social media, but medical experts say there’s real science behind the viral “fart walk” wellness trend.

Coined by 70-year-old Canadian cookbook author Mairlyn Smith, the term refers to a brief stroll taken after dinner, often to relieve gas.

“Going for a ‘fart walk’ after dinner is something that’s going to help you age wonderfully,” Smith declared last year in a now viral Instagram post.

Since then, the hashtag #fartwalk has earned millions of views on TikTok, fueled by a mixture of humor, personal anecdotes and surprising medical support...

“From a medical perspective, what it can really help do is promote digestion. It promotes intestinal motility, which is to squeeze and move things forward,” said Dr. Max Brondfield, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at UCSF. “It helps keep the entire digestive tract happy and balanced.”

Brondfield and other physicians are publicly endorsing the practice, not just for digestive comfort but for deeper systemic benefits.

Among them: blood sugar regulation. After eating, glucose enters the bloodstream, triggering a rise in blood sugar levels. Over time, especially in those with insulin resistance or sedentary lifestyles, this can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

But walking, even for just five to 10 minutes, appears to blunt this spike.

"Fart walking" outdoors is not only good for your health, but the people who live in the same home will appreciate it too.