Why Americans Are Taking 'Fart Walks' After Big Meals

From viral girl dinners to spiral-cut hot dogs, many internet "hacks" are simply savvy rebrands of something that already exists. In this spirit, American social media users are now promoting regular post-dining strolls with a more provocative title: fart walks. The idea that walking after eating is a healthy habit that can aid digestion, lower stress levels, and even help regulate blood sugar is nothing new. However, the catchy name captures the essence of a slightly more taboo motivation for strolling after a meal — getting the gas out.

The term fart walk seems to have been coined by cookbook author Mairlyn Smith in a viral 2024 Instagram video. In the clip, a sauntering Smith discusses the benefits of going for a short fart walk about an hour after dinner (presumably while in the midst of completing her own silent-but-deadly stroll). The concept quickly caught wind, with social media influencers of all stripes filming their fart walks and touting the myriad benefits of the practice; even celebrities like Hoda Kotb have promoted the trend.

While there's no doubt that fart walk is a fun name, does taking a fart walk really help you break wind? First of all, let's be clear that passing gas is totally normal and healthy. Most people cut the cheese about 14 times a day, and if your diet is rich in delicious but fart-inducing foods like store-bought canned beans and cruciferous veggies including kale, that number is probably going to be higher. Second of all, yes, walking could cause those inevitable toots to transpire sooner rather than later. 

At the most basic level, farts are the release of air that has built up in your intestines. Almost any kind of body movement is likely to get things moving in your bowels, propelling that air through your system and out into the world. Of course, walking after eating boasts a multitude of physical and mental health benefits beyond expediently passing gas, but if calling it a fart walk helps motivate you to get in your post-meal stroll, we say let it rip.