Why they tell you to walk after meals

You've probably heard the advice: take a walk after eating. But why? And does it actually work?This episode gets into what's really happening in your body after a meal, how glucose enters your cells, and why pregnancy hormones make that process harder. Women's health exercise physiologist Kristen McCluskey explains how muscle contraction opens a kind of side door for glucose - one that doesn't rely as heavily on insulin - and what the research actually says about timing, intensity, and how to make it work in real life.Less "you should exercise more," more "here's exactly what's going on and why it helps."You can connect with Kristen through Meri Exercise Physiology or on Instagram (@meri.exercisephysiology).Link to full shownotes: https://heygestie.com/blogs/podcast/ep-4-why-they-tell-you-to-walk-after-mealsChapters00:28 Introduction00:45 Meet Kristen01:10 What's actually happening in the body after we eat?01:23 How insulin works02:24 What changes in pregnancy03:08 Exercise - the secret side door04:04 GLUT4 transporters05:59 Compound exercises06:38 How long do the benefits of exercise last?07:23 Timing your movement09:24 The 150-300 minutes a week recommendation explained10:06 Why 10 minutes three times a day works better than you'd think11:32 GDM fatigue13:29 Kristen's own experimentation with GDM15:36 The flexibility factor17:47 Exercise benefits beyond blood glucose18:14 Takeaways + what's coming in the next episode