Maybe you cannot stand the ever-decreasing quality of festive TV, would do anything to escape the four walls and enforced bonhomie of Christmas, or indeed there has been a suitably festive flurry of snow and you live in a chocolate box village, it seems the post-Christmas dinner walk enjoyed by many can do us all the power of good. Scientists from the University of Glasgow have found that a stroll can help to clear fatty food molecules from the bloodstream. It is official, wrapping up in your outdoor clothes, with optional Christmas jumper can help keep you healthy and reduce festive food guilt.

Walking “Makes your Plughole Bigger”

Dr Jason Gill, who was in charge of the research, likened the levels of these fatty molecules, or lipids to the levels of water in a bath. When you want to reduce the level of water, you can either turn off the tap, or increase the size of the plughole. The effort used in going out after your Christmas dinner is equivalent to making your plughole bigger, “increasing your body’s ability to break down the fats faster” according to Dr Gill.

Welcome Research

Professor Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation welcomed the research, but suggested that it was only the start. “We need more research to confirm the study’s findings, but it does give us a clue to how some of the benefits of exercise take place.” Make sure the other staple of Christmas Day, the afternoon nap is well earned by taking a hearty stroll.