Taking Action After the Thanksgving Dinner

One of the problems with eating a heavy meal is that it can take some time to digest. In general, you should give yourself time to digest and wait a few hours before working out. Too much food lingering in the stomach can cause stomach upset. Not allowing yourself time to digest may cause cramping if working out too hard after a big meal.

Thanksgiving is known for overeating and overindulging. While it's not a good time to do a hard workout, you can help offset it right away by going on a light walk. Gentle exercise can help promote digestion and ease uncomfortable bloating. According to a small study published in Diabetes Care in June 2013, walking after meals helps minimize blood sugar spikes and improve glycemic control. While it may seem counter intuitive, drinking water after a big meal can help flush out any excess sodium you may have consumed.

The following are some workouts you may be interested in trying and can be fun to do with the family after your Thanksgiving dinner. They can help you burn a lot of calories in a comparably short amount of time. The following activities are based on a 155 pound person performing the activity for 30 minutes.

• Running at 5mph – 298 calories

• Playing a basketball game – 298 calories

• Using a rowing machine (vigorously) – 316 calories

• Bicycling at 14mph – 372 calories

• Jumping rope – 372 calories

• Swimming – 223 calories

Burning off calories you consume will vary based on your weight and intensity of the activity. In general, the harder you push yourself the more calories you will burn. 3500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat. Even a short, high calorie-burning workout is helpful for undoing some of the negative impact of the heavy meal.

And if exercise after eating too much isn't your thing, you can try activities that are more enjoyable or even social. For example, if you don't run, try power walking with friends. After that big Thanksgiving dinner, get moving.